Ep. 484: How to stop stereotyping seniors
Guest: Rudy Buttignol, President of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons
More than 7 million people in Canada are older than 64 – that’s just shy of 20 percent of us.
The issues that all seniors face include, but are not limited to, financial security, health care, and an end to ageism. Rudy Buttignol, the President of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP), represents associations across the country advocating with all levels of government on behalf of 330,000 members.
According to Buttignol, “The greatest obstacle to achieving better societal outcomes for senior citizens is ageism.” There is a generally held belief that as you age, your body and mind will fall apart and you’ll be grumpy and lonely and you're going to be ill. Buttignol says, “That’s simply not true. They are, however, the basis of bias directed at seniors.”
Those attitudes towards seniors impact so many other aspects of their lives. Buttignol says, “It’s why families worry that seniors can’t remain in their homes. It affects the way health care providers treat senior patients. It’s discrimination.”
Since 1983, CARP has been working to combat stereotypes about seniors. The organization also advocates for tax policy changes that will support homecare, reframing the concept of retirement residences from “institutions” to “homes.”
We invited Rudy Buttignol to join us for a Conversation That Matters about aging well and why we need to respect our elders.
Want to learn more about our guest?
Check out their profile on our partnered program, Careers That Matter!
