The organisation hosting the International Federation on Ageing’s global conference in Melbourne next month says the event will provide an opportunity to dispel negative perceptions about ageing.
The Executive Director of COTA Victoria, Sue Hendy said despite advances in many other areas, Australia remains an ageist society.
“In this country you can get away with making an ageist joke but not a sexist or a racist one,” she said. “You even see ageist jokes on birthday cards.”
Ms Hendy added that too often the ageing population is depicted as a burden on society.
“It is true that there are some elements to ageing that require our matured considered policy program and response,” she said.
“But on the flip side, it is a success story about our community being able to eradicate many of the things that killed us in the past.
“When the retirement age was set 200 years ago at 65, only 3 per cent of people lived long enough to get there and most of them only lived for six months after that. Thankfully, we have outdated and moved beyond those days.”
And Ms Hendy hopes that key presentations from leading United Nations and World Health Organisation officials at the conference will help to change negative attitudes here in Australia.
The international event will also feature presentations on a number of aged care topics including wound management, nutrition, oral health, human rights and the built environment.
