Ageism-Modern Variants

Robert Butler, who died last year—was a physician, gerontologist, psychiatrist, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and the first director of the National Institute on Aging—introduced the term “ageism” in 1969. By assigning a word to the practice of discriminating against older adults, researchers gained a focus. Words serve as bridges between action and understanding. By selecting specific words, we provide a strong indication about our beliefs—and probably actions—in relation to members of a group.
Ageist vocabulary—like other forms of prejudicial communication--is potentially harmful. Certain negative words refer to older adults’ physical appearance (decrepit, frumpy, wrinkled); behavior (crotchety, fussy, garrulous, grouchy, grumpy, miserly); physical ability (debilitated, feeble, infirm, rickety); sexuality (unattractive, impotent, sagging, droopy); and mental ability (doddering, eccentric, feebleminded, foolish, rambling, senile).
Despite the abundance of disparaging expressions for older adults, however, a few favorable terms, such as mature, mellow, sage, venerable, veteran, and wise, describe positive aspects of aging. “Old” has a negative connotation only when applied to people. Old implies positive meanings when applied to objects such as money, brandy, wine, cheese, lace, and wood.
Gerontologists still debate the appropriate designation for people older than 65.  A classic 1979 Harris Poll conducted for the National Council on the Aging indicated that the most-favored descriptive terms for older Americans were senior citizen, retired person, and mature American. While gerontologists Carole Barbato and Jerry Feezel, by sampling 162 people in 1987, also came up with those same three terms and added three more in order of preference—retired person, golden ager, and elderly. These terms seem antiquated today in reference to emerging baby boomers.
In contrast, the Thesaurus of Aging Terminology (8th edition 2005), an AARP publication, advises readers to use the expression “older adults.” In politically correct environments, older adults do not represent an end but a process (older vs. old.) The term is inclusive.
Because older adults (aged 65 years to theoretically 122) are extremely heterogeneous, it makes little sense to put a 65-year-old in the same category as a super centenarian (110 years old). “Old person” is a conceptual metaphor that considers old age as a terminal period. “Older adult” does not designate a terminal stage. It implies that you are still growing old, but with the emphasis on “growing.”
Another subtle expression of ageism occurs when referring to part of a person. Whether it is age, or another aspect of that person, the use of a part for the whole is termed a metonymy. Within health care and social service settings, metonymy is a common way to allude to older adults. The use of such expressions; the care recipient, the dementia, the broken hip, or the cancerous liver, are examples.
In some respects, these references underlie the intent of service providers to address specific issues rather than the individual. But words we use determine how we are treated. Part of the secret of long life is not to accept negative terms for us. How long we live is related to our perception of how long we expect to live, and what we allow others to dictate for us.