Ageism is prejudice, discrimination based on age, especially in relation to elderly people, which manifests itself in different contexts of everyday life. This translates, for example, at work, into the exclusion of older professionals in selection processes and the lack of training opportunities. This type of situation also occurs in healthcare, when professionals dismiss the elderly person’s complaint or simply associate it with symptoms of age, claiming that this is normal for the patient’s age group and should not be valued.
Data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) indicate that the proportion of elderly people (people aged 60 or over) in the Brazilian population has been increasing. From 2000 to 2023, this percentage almost doubled, rising from 8.7% to 15.6%. In absolute numbers, the total number of elderly people in the country increased from 15.2 million to 33 million in the period.
According to IBGE Population Projections, in 2070, elderly people will represent almost 40% (37.8%) of Brazil’s inhabitants. There will be 75.3 million people aged 60 or over in the country.
Physiotherapist Isabela Azevedo Trindade warns that prejudice impacts the physical and mental health of the elderly – Photo: SBGG/Disclosure
President of the Gerontology Department of the Brazilian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (SBGG), physiotherapist Isabela Azevedo Trindade says that, In the media, stereotypical representations of elderly people as fragile, dependent and incapable are common. “In the family social relationship itself, [observam-se] infantilization, overprotection or disregard for the autonomy of the elderly person.”
She adds that, often, the elderly person ends up incorporating prejudice, believing that it is synonymous with loss, disability. “This is a social problem, which impacts a person’s physical and mental health. It encourages social isolation, leads to non-engagement in productive activities, and perpetuates the idea that aging is something negative. This is very bad”, points out Isabela. In the expert’s view, combating ageism is a way of valuing aging as a natural part of life, of building a society for all ages.
Intergenerationality
To combat ageism, according to the expert, the recipe is to promote intergenerational relationships, valuing coexistence and exchange between generations.
“[É preciso] include the aging agenda in the media, showing active, productive elderly people; train health professionals, recognize and avoid ageist attitudes; promote public policies that guarantee the social inclusion and employability of elderly people, stimulating cultural change”, lists Isabela Azevedo.
Trying to have a healthy longevity has a lot to do with how a person will age. She should try to do physical activity, have a healthy diet, and adequate sleep at all stages of life, highlights the specialist. “But all of this starts beforehand. It’s the person trying to have a healthy aging process. It has a lot to do with this way of living, how you will spend your years of life.”
Asked why young people, especially, believe that elderly people should no longer work, they are “dead” to love and even sex, Isabela believes that this has to do with education, which is generational. “This is very bad. We have to work on this, fostering intergenerational relationships, valuing coexistence and exchange between generations.”
The national secretary for the Rights of the Elderly at the Ministry of Human Rights, Alexandre da Silva, says that it is necessary to teach children about the importance of getting older – Photo: Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil
Another important point is demystify the idea that old age means the end of emotional life, love, sexuality. “Affection and desire are part of all ages. What changes are the forms of expression and priorities. We need this cultural change to value aging as a natural part of the human trajectory.”
For the national secretary for the Rights of the Elderly, of the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship (MDHC), Alexandre da Silva, Confronting ageism involves cultural and educational aspects.
“A child who does not have this positive view of aging will also speak negatively about what an elderly person is,” says the secretary, in an interview with Brazil Agency. “The same will happen with teenagers and other age groups”, he adds.
Comics
According to the MDHC Ombudsman’s Office, younger people are the ones who most often violate the elderly, but they are also the ones who can protect them the most. Therefore, the secretariat launched the comic book Turma da Mônica in: Intergenerationalitywhich seeks establish a dialogue between generations, using elderly characters to talk about diversity, respect and ageism.
“It’s a way of bringing people together in which everyone wins”, highlights Silva. “We are a society made up of various peoples, such as African and Asian people, who have a culture of respect for their elders.”
>> Access the digital version of the comic book
Turma da Mônica’s comic book about intergenerationality – Photo: Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil
THE comic was released at an event at a public school in the Federal District, in March this year. The launch was attended by pensioner Varlinda Lisboa Leite, aged 61, and her grandson, Arthur Digo, aged 12 (main photo), who have lived together since the boy was born.
On that occasion, Varlinda, who was also raised by her grandmother, highlighted the importance of exchanging experiences with the fifth grandchild, despite the age difference of almost 40 years. “I teach a lot of what my parents and grandmother taught me. To have respect for others”, said Varlinda.
The National Secretariat for the Rights of the Elderly develops other actions for this part of the population, such as educational initiatives aimed at combating illiteracy.
“We are also creating an action with the Ministry of Education aimed at technological training for the elderly and we have a program called Viva Mais Cidadania, which is aligned with Article 5 of the Inter-American Convention, which talks about people who are in vulnerable situations. We already do this for various groups, such as quilombolas, indigenous people, riverside people, refugees, LGBTQIA+ elderly people. And it starts a little before the age of 60”, informs secretary Alexandre da Silva.
