1. Age

2. Ageism Ageism: belief that one age category is by nature superior to another age category At the heart of age-based role loss It is often directed toward elderly people in industrial societies Can be seen in stereotypes used to portray elderly citizens ▫Often shown as unproductive, cranky, and physically or mentally impaired ▫In reality majority of people 65 and over are self-sufficient, active members of society ▫Media reinforces stereotypes  News coverage often focuses on the negative aspects of aging  Commercials use elderly for only certain products Efforts are being made to change the image of people 65 and older

3. The Aging World The world’s population is aging By the year 2050 it is predicted that 1 in every 5 Americans will be elderly Graying America: Phenomenon of growing % of elderly Americans as part of the total US population ▫Primary reasons  Advances in health care and better living conditions  Variations in birthrates  Baby Boom Generation: Children born from 1946- 1964 ▫Huge boom which has since declined

4. The Politics of Aging Changing age structure thrust elderly people into the center of politics The image of elderly has changed them from underprivileged to a powerful and effective voting bloc Few politicians are willing to run the risk of ignoring the needs of older Americans

5. Political Groups for the Elderly American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) ▫Largest special interest group ▫Political Lobbying effort ▫Provides services: financial advice, healthcare insurance plans, travel discounts, and prescription-drug discounts National Council of Senior Citizens National Council on Aging Gray Panthers Social Security

6. Major issue of concern Many fear the system is not up to the task of caring for future generations of elderly people Funded by payroll or income taxes on workers, employers, and the self-employed ▫Current payroll taxes fund the benefits paid to current retirees ▫There are now fewer workers available to support growing number of retirees (baby boomers) Dependency Ration: number of workers for each person receiving Social Security benefits ▫Decreases drastically

7. Social Security Ways to ensure future of Social Security ▫Some people have suggested raising the retirement age, cutting benefits, or increasing Social Security payroll taxes ▫Some pointed out that including state and local government workers have raised contributions markedly ▫Some have suggested that individuals or Social Security administrators should have the freedom to invest funds in the stock market

8. Old-Old Fastest growth in elderly population is among the old- old (85 and over) Number of people receiving Social Security benefits is increasing and so is the length of time people receive those benefits Most likely to be in poorest health which places an added strain on government transfer payments programs ▫Medicare: Government-sponsored health-insurance plan for elderly Americans and Americans with disabilities ▫Medicaid: State and federally funded health-insurance program for low-income individuals ▫They are the sole sources of health insurance for close to ¼ of the elderly population

9. Age Inequality in the United States Some people argue that government transfer payments have made older Americans financially secure at the expense of younger generations Figures in 2003 ▫22 % of elderly African Americans live in poverty ▫19 % of elderly Hispanics live in poverty ▫8% of elderly white Americans live in poverty ▫12% of elderly women are poor compared to 7% of elderly men Poverty level is higher among the old-old Even if they don’t live in poverty, many of them are living in conditions near poverty

10. Americans with Disabilities Physical disabilities: chronic health impairments, mental retardation, mental illness, and visual, hearing, or speech impairments Prejudice and Discrimination ▫Problem is the stereotypical belief that their disabilities make them incapable of doing productive work ▫People with disabilities have difficulty finding meaningful employment and receive lower-than-average wages ▫Many receive some form of government assistance but still struggle to make ends meet ▫Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975  Guaranteed children with disabilities public education geared toward their needs and abilities ▫Fair Housing Amendments Act  Protection from discrimination in housing

11. The American Disabilities Act (ADA) Address 4 main areas 1.Employment  Illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities in hiring, promotion, and pay  Requires companies to provide job training and aids  Companies do not have to comply if they can show that doing so would cause undue economic hardship 2.Public Services  Illegal to deny benefit of public services, including transportation  All new public buses and trains must be made accessible to citizens with disabilities 3.Public Accommodations  Public places must make their facilities accessible to people with disabilities 4.Telecommunications  Telephone companies must provide telecommunications-relay services (TRS)  allows communication between regular telephones and text telephones used by hearing and speech impaired  Services must be available 24/7 Main goal is to increase employment opportunities Employment rates have risen but only slightly