Aging Stereotypes

According to Wikipedia, the word "stereotype" is defined as "a type of logical oversimplification in which all the members of a class or set are considered to be definable by an easily distinguishable set of characteristics". Stereotypes regarding older people are prevalent in our society. I have heard of many common stereotypes which range from elderly people being bad drivers, wise, hoarders, or forgetful. Unfortunately, stereotypes usually carry a negative undertone and do not necessarily hold a true meaning.

One of the very first elderly people I have ever gotten to know well is my grandma, “Oma”. She grew up in Germany and had an extremely harsh childhood. She ran away from home because of an abusive step-mother, endured poverty and World War II. If I was a stranger looking from an outside perspective, my grandma would be perceived as not friendly, not very active, and set in her ways. Not all of those things are true. After visiting her a lot in Canada, I have learned that she is very friendly and has a great sense of humor. She loves to garden and crochet with her friends to stay active. When I would visit her, the basement would always be filled with unnecessary things that she would hoard. Looking back, I realized that because of her living in poverty and enduring WWII that the only way she knew how to survive was to hoard food and other items. It is so wonderful that she accepts help from my mother to clear out her clutter. Despite all of my mother’s help, my grandma still cannot resist a great bargain at the local thrift store!

As I was volunteering at Florida Hospital East as a Patient Companion I learned that every elderly person is different. I realized that just because they are elderly does not mean they are unfriendly and lonely. Many of the patients that I cared for were extremely talkative, wise, and had many friends. Some came from wealthy families and some were very poor. After spending individual time with many elderly patients, I learned that they were open to new ideas of treatment and were mentally sharp. However, it was sad to see the ones suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Many of us have probably experienced that terrible driver who seemed to forget there were other people on the road and proceeded to cut us off at 30 miles an hour on a busy road. As they pass us, we realize they look like they are 95 years old. This is something I have experienced many times. A common stereotype that people have is that elderly people are bad drivers. My family’s friend, Tom is 85 years old and still drives. His daughter believes he should not be driving anymore because his driving skills are getting worse. From his perspective, he still thinks he is a great driver even though it takes him over 6 times to pass his driver’s test!

Tom also matches the stereotype that old people do not bathe. First, I did not understand, but after spending time with him and his family they explained that he thinks that if he shaves his face, that he is clean. Someone who is not aware of this explanation might think Tom is crazy or weird, but I learned that just like anyone else in this world, some elderly people have their ways of rationalizing things. To counteract this stereotype, another family friend, Dorothy, who is 85 years old is a great driver and bathes on a daily basis. So, it really depends on the person!

I was guilty of believing in some of these stereotypes, but after volunteering in a hospital, shadowing doctors, and spending time with elderly friends and family I learned to erase these stereotypes and be more understanding of elderly people. Even though some of these stereotypes may be true, they are not true for every elderly person. Whether our society thinks elderly people are hoarders, mentally slow, unfriendly, or smelly, it is important to be open-minded and kind to them.