“A brief, one-off educational intervention can be a powerful tool in creating lasting positive changes in attitudes and behaviors towards older people,” the study found.
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Tackling prejudice might seem daunting, but a recent study found some hope when talking about ageism.
Ageism is widespread and costly. The World Health Organization’s Global Report on Ageism in 2021 found that one in two people worldwide are ageist, and called ageism ‘prevalent, ubiquitous, and insidious.’
There’s a cost to ageism, as well, Yale University said that discrimination based on age increased healthcare costs by $63 billion annually. In the long-term, age discrimination could cost the U.S. more than $3.9 trillion in 2050, AARP found.
While it might seem impossible to tackle something as deeply ingrained as ageism, a recent study by the Australian Human Rights Commission found that even small efforts can produce big results.