Project outcomes

Abstract European local authorities increasingly use social media to present services and activities organized for citizens living in the particular area. Previous studies found that authority-managed social media visually depicted older adults as being active, sociable, happy, and physically capable, reflecting the normative “third age” representation. Yet few studies to date have examined how local authorities produce the photos of older adults for social media posting. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with communication officers in a Swedish municipality, the purpose of this study is to investigate...

Abstract It has been argued that older people living with dementia often experience stigma. Several media interventions have been designed to raise public awareness about dementia, as well as to de-stigmatise the condition and people living with it; however, few studies have investigated how media interventions may serve to reduce stigma. The present study focused on a Chinese reality show, Forget Me Not Café, which brought together five older people (aged 65 and older) living with dementia to run a pop-up restaurant and intended to reduce the stigma...

Abstract [en] Ageism is a social problem that has harmful effects on the wellbeing of older people and needs to be tackled. It is pervasive and evident in the media (e.g., films, television, print and social media). Despite the fact that non-individual actors have adopted social media on a large scale in contemporary society, the social media representation of older people generated by those actors has remained insufficiently studied. This thesis aims to increase our knowledge of social media representations of older people and improve...

Abstract Intergenerational contact for technology learning frequently transpires in various daily settings of older adults’ lives. However, older adults often hold negative age-based self-stereotype that they are less capable in technology use. Thus, they may experience age-based stereotype threats in such situations, which further induce technophobia. Previous research indicated that positive intergenerational contact can reduce age-based stereotype threat and technophobia among older adults. This research focuses on intergenerational physical proximity, a vital role in structuring intergenerational contact, to investigate how it impacts technophobia via age-based stereotype...

Abstract Objectives Sharing similar negative age stereotypes (e.g., outdated, unfashionable), older adults and older technologies are stereotypically associated with each other. This also was found to be internalized by older adults. Recent research has suggested that internalized negative age stereotypes may be one of the reasons for technophobia among older adults. Therefore, considering the pervasiveness of intergenerational comparison of technologies (e.g., computer vs. tablet) in which older-generation technologies are negatively portrayed, we aim to investigate whether a mere intergenerational comparison of technologies would affect technophobia...

Abstract There has been supporting evidence that older adults with underlying health conditions form the majority of the fatal cases in the current novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. While the impact of COVID-19 is affecting the general public, it is clear that these distressful experiences will be magnified in older adults, particularly people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD), making them the most vulnerable group during this time. People with differing degrees of ADRD are especially susceptible to the virus, not only because...

Abstract By classifying older adults, based on chronological age, as a higher risk group of coronavirus disease, 2019 is unacceptable and unfair- potentially reinforcing ageism. This ageist approach can accelerate the risk of social isolation, and heightened levels of psychosocial distress. Moreover, a general calculation of the number that is generated merely from the case fatality rate surely will mislead the indicators of the epidemic’s trajectory, and lead to another infodemic. Therefore, transparency in news dissemination, the underlying health conditions and cultural differences of older adults...

Abstract The news media, specifically online newspapers, is one of the powerful transmitters of discourse due to its rapid accessibility that contributes to social beliefs and attitudes that often shape our perceptions on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The media portrayal of dementia is largely heterogeneous, but there is certainly an association between the influence of online news coverage and the social perceptions of dementia that need to be understood more broadly. In this study, we examined the portrayal of dementia in two online newspapers (The...

Abstract Background The growing number of people living with dementia (PlwD) implies an increase in the demand for eldercare services in Sweden like in many other countries. Few studies have analyzed the use of eldercare services for PlwD. The aim of the present study is to investigate the association between demographic factors (age, sex, cohabiting status) and the use of municipal eldercare services (including both home care and residential care) for older adults with dementia compared to older adults without dementia in Sweden. Methods This...

Abstract Ageism in the manager–employee relationship is one of the main obstacles towards an age-inclusive workplace. Ageism in the labour market is rooted in the use of age as an organising principle of employment relations. This article contributes to the study of ageism in the workplace by investigating how stages of life, as normalised age categories, are mobilised through discursive practices in performance appraisals. Based on the analysis of video recordings of actual performance appraisal interviews at an Italian labour union, three discursive ways of...

Abstract Background: Digital technologies (DTs) for older adults focus mainly on health care and are considered to have the potential to improve the well-being of older adults. However, adoption rates of these DTs are considered low. Although previous research has investigated possible reasons for adoption and acceptance of DT, age-based stereotypes (eg, those held by health care professionals) toward the abilities of older adults to use DTs have yet to be considered as possible barriers to adoption. Objective: The aim of this study was to...

Background Benzodiazepines (BZDs) and Z-drugs have high potential for developing frequent adverse drug events in older adults (e.g., psychomotor sedation, drug-related dementia, deliria, drug dependence, etc.). Knowledge of the prevalence and patterns of the use of BZDs/Z-drugs in vulnerable older patients is important in order to prevent and reduce the burden caused by their drug-related complications. Our study focused on international comparisons of the prevalence, country-specific prescribing patterns and risk factors of regular BZD/Z-drug use in nursing home (NH) residents. Methods This cross-sectional study retrospectively...

Abstract Objectives: Optimistic bias refers to the phenomenon that individuals believe bad things are less likely to happen to themselves than to others. However, whether optimistic bias could vary across age and culture is unknown. The present study aims to investigate (a) whether individuals exhibit optimistic bias in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and (b) whether age and culture would moderate such bias. Method: 1,051 participants recruited from China, Israel, and the United States took the online survey. Risk perceptions consist of 3 questions:...

Abstract Background Both rapid technological changes and (self-)ageism are pervasive challenges of the 21st century, potentially impacting older adults’ everyday functioning, health, and well-being. This systematic literature review aimed to synthesize scholarly evidence to determine the associations between everyday information and communication technology (EICT) usage and (self-)ageism as well as potential moderators. Methods A systematic search was performed in 8 academic databases, covering the timeframe from January 1995 to January 2021. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews Meta-Analyses guidelines, a total of 15...

This article contributes to the ongoing debate around the need for a new United Nations convention on the human rights of older persons. It explores new forms of ageism that have so far been overlooked in the discussion and explores the value of a new treaty from a symbolic point of view. Analyzing the instrumentalization of older persons by ageing policies, and the devaluation of older age as part of age imperialism, we argue that a new treaty can valorize older people’s social status and...