Neglect of the elderly is the order of the day, although most people neither observe nor appreciate it or even realize that they themselves can commit it. As if the issue of age is foreign to them, ignoring that everyone, sooner or later, will blow out the same candles that are used to describe someone as old, old, useless or incapable. It is as reported by numerous institutions, starting with the UN, and followed by aging experts, an unstoppable process that fully affects not only Spain, but also Europe and the rest of the developed world (the great success of the 20th century was to increase the hope of life, says researcher Julio Díaz).
Ageism is everywhere, including the images that are used to mark spaces for the elderly and that are chosen in public institutions, which are responsible for ensuring against age discrimination and equal treatment ( law of 2022, which for the first time sanctions ageism). For this reason, the Instituto de Mayores y Servicios Sociales (Imserso) is working to put an end to these signs that offend the elderly.
This was indicated by Mayte Sancho, head of Imserso, who is already working with the General Directorate of Traffic to modify some road signs that may be offensive and is advocating for the removal of signs that indicate services for the elderly, such as the designated centers to this collective: “Your house is not signposted, therefore, the center does not have to be either”, pointed out Sancho.
With respect to the DGT sign that the Imserso manager refers to is P-21b, which warns of the danger due to the proximity of an area where elderly people can often be found. The figure shows a hunched over woman with a cane, followed by a man. Despite the criticism of the associations of the elderly, they continue to be there and show a vulnerability that they deny. Because there are many kinds of elderly people and, more and more, those who enter the over-65 group refuse to accept.
This was indicated by Mayte Sancho during the presentation of the first report of the State Care Service for the Elderly, of HelpAge Internacional España, which manages this service Fundació Help Age, and which reveals that the majority of people who use this telephone (900 -22-22-22) are women, because they notice discrimination more and report it.
This report points out that the majority of inquiries refer to discriminatory situations in everyday activity. Such as not being able to renew a supermarket card because you have turned 80, not allowing you to open an online bank account because of your age or denying you the possibility of taking a contracted trip because of your age, even though the affected person is in perfect health and physical condition.
According to the report, the main obstacles that the elderly encounter in their day-to-day life are linked to access to information about benefits and services, the digital divide and care. And also, because of age discrimination in the healthcare field.
“We have received inquiries relating to the quality of health care for the elderly that range from preventing access to a certain medical service on the basis of ‘age’, which amounts to serious discrimination, to situations of ageism due to the language used by the doctors towards the admitted elderly person. This is not a minor issue, as it often causes serious consequences in the physical and mental situation of the person suffering from this situation”, the report points out. From HelpAge they ask “to adapt medical communication with the aim that the elderly patient can understand what is transmitted to him and to review health protocols that discriminate on the basis of age”.
“The problem with ageism is that people are not aware of this discrimination; sexism, xenophobia or racism are identified, but the elderly do not feel that they are the object of discrimination”, adds Martínez.
But, even in cases where they are aware of the injustice they are experiencing, it happens that they do not know how to react to it. For this reason, this entity is asked, among other issues, to “promote and strengthen legal guidance services for the elderly”.
