World Ageism Awareness Day
A mentor once told me to challenge stereotypes. It felt like good advice, and I took it to heart.
Over the years I’ve done so more than a few times. As a woman, I’ve proved that I can tackle tech. As a mother, I’ve proved that I can raise my kids, and have a career. And, I think there’s one more that I need to tackle – age.
Who says at 65 we stop being useful? Who says that our contributions to culture decline with age? I know I don’t. And, I won’t.
A little while back, my friend Helen reached out to me about World Ageism Awareness Day (October 9th) to raise awareness. I thought what a great opportunity to share her Tedx Talk, but what an even better time to tell you about what our government is doing – and raise awareness around an incredible program called New Horizons for Seniors.
In her TEDxKanata talk, Helen speaks about embracing aging and how life begins with retirement. Embrace Age with a Longevity Mindset | Helen Hirsh Spence | TEDxKanata (youtube.com) (I suggest everyone find some time to watch.) What I found most impactful about her talk was how damaging stereotypes can be. Most Canadians don’t recognize age as a diversity, and 1 out of 2 persons globally is ageist against older adults. This negative reinforcement drives older adults to disengage, to stay home and withdraw, creating health problems from inactivity.
But New Horizons for Seniors does the opposite. This program was created to facilitate the development of Senior led programming and activities run by Seniors – creating stronger community bonds, and opportunities to be more active and engaged. This year, we’ve supported 6 of these programs in Kanata-Carleton alone. (Learn more here: New Horizons for Seniors Program - Canada.ca) If you have questions about how you can apply or get involved, send me an email. My office is here to support our senior community – I mean, we are the party that moved the retirement age back to 65 after another party moved it to 67.
Retirement should be a chance to age and enjoy your time with dignity. We’re preserving that for you.
