AGEIST POLICIES - DISCRIMINATION AGAINST OLDER ADULTS

Abstract In today's society, we are often confronted with many “isms,” but one of the few discussed is Ageism. Unknown to most people, there are many institutional policies and governmental regulations that are based on ageist assumptions that cognitive function necessarily declines with age such that older adults are considered to be less capable than younger adults. For example, when many people are living healthy lives for a longer period of time, does it still make sense to impose mandatory retirement based on age? This symposium will bring to light some of the existing ageist policies related to physicians, pilots and judges in order to educate those of us who care about advocating for older adults.