Title: Stereotypes about ageing | The Good Care Group
Headings: Challenging negative stereotypes about ageing
Challenging negative stereotypes about ageing
Stereotypes about ageing: Perception vs reality
Why it is important to overcome negative stereotypes about ageing

Content: Becca Levy, associate professor at Yale School of Public Health, quoted in the Wall Street Journal article above, went as far as describing negative stereotypes about ageing as "a public health issue". Regardless of medical history, education level, or socioeconomic status, people with negative perceptions of ageing have been found to have: Higher rates of cardiac disease. A median life expectancy that's 7.5 years shorter. Less chance of recovering from severe disability. Poorer memory and cognition. Lower quality diet and exercise regimes. Less inclination to take medication as instructed. Shakier handwriting. Having identified these effects, psychologists, neuroscientists, and cognitive therapists have begun identifying strategies to overcome these negative stereotypes and improve the overall health of older people.