The Greatest Challenge to Senior Housing and Aging Services: Our Own Ageism

Having worked in senior housing and aging services for almost 40 years, I’m often asked, “What do you think is the greatest challenge we face in providing older adults with the housing, health care, supportive services and community that they need?”

The more I’ve reflected on this, and the longer I’ve been in the field, the more convinced I am that our greatest challenges are the ageist assumptions, prejudices and stereotypes that permeate our society.

If you’re like me, you’re disappointed but not surprised when those who don’t work in our industry use ageist phrases like the ones in the graphic above. And you’ve probably also seen how ageism can guide the actions of employers, policy-makers, regulators, researchers and others who don’t work in senior living and long-term care.

But sadly, many in our profession unconsciously fall prey to ageist stereotypes and language, too. It happens with well-meaning intentions, to be sure, but it can do real damage.

It diminishes the agency, identity and value of the older adults with whom we work.

One small example of this sort of ageism is the concept of a “continuum of care.” While on one hand, this concept can accurately describe the need for often-increasing levels of care and supportive services for older adults, it has an unfortunate and unintended consequence.

When we talk about a “continuum of care,” we frame our work around a declinist view of those we serve. It casts them as people who are beset by ever-increasing deficits, and that leads to further disempowering and devaluing them — discounting their desire and ability to contribute to their life, the lives of those close to them, and the issues that they care about most.

We need to offer a continuum of engagement, not a continuum of care. When we focus on engagement, we prioritize the things that give those we serve a sense of self-worth, identity, purpose and belonging — instead of diminishing the individual by making them a sum of their needs for care and functional support .

To be honest, I didn’t know this when I started my career. I have come to the realization over time.

But today, with experience, I’m certain that everything we do should start with engaging with the older adult, and asking what matters to them. Then we need to frame our work based on their responses.

That doesn’t mean we should ignore very real needs for care and support. But it does mean acknowledging that those we care for have a desire to stay meaningfully engaged in life. Or, more succinctly, acknowledging that there’s still a person there.