We can imagine a Maine without Ageism – a Maine where aging is embraced as a process to be celebrated and where all older people are valued and intentionally included in every aspect of our society. We believe we can build an Age-Positive (Age+) culture in Maine with healthier people and communities, and a stronger economy by intentionally addressing age-bias in all its forms. On September 21, 2022, we released this video to announce the start of a 10-year effort to end ageism in Maine, replaced by Age+ messages, images, values, and people!
This was the kick-off for the Age+ ME Movement, but literally it was only the very first step! To be an effective movement, we need a plan, tools, and metrics! We’ll build those together with the most important ingredient of all – YOU! This movement must be bold, empowering and fun, led by people of all ages, colors, abilities, sizes, sexes, and orientations! We need business and municipal partners too. Please sign up to help Maine become Age+!
Sign Up TODAY to Join the Age+ ME Movement!
Individual
I join the Age+ ME Movement! I stand for a Maine that is age-equitable, where people of all ages are seen as valued, necessary, and respected members of society. I commit to taking action to reduce age-bias and to help to build a more age-positive Maine.
Actions You Can Take
- Embrace aging as a process that starts at birth and lasts throughout our lives;
- Include yourself when talking about aging – aging, it’s cool, and we’re all doing it;
- Spread the word about the benefits of being Age+ and living in an Age+ culture;
- Call out ageist humor, comments, and jokes and buy age-positive birthday cards;
- Change the way you talk about aging and older people;
- Share these language recommendations with your peers, family and friends;
- When you hear the use of “senior,” “senior citizen,” or “the elderly,” ask for age specificity;
- Address ageism when you see it – write letters to the editor when articles stereotype or marginalize older people; write television stations about offensive anti-aging ads;
- Ask what your municipality is actively doing to make your community “longevity ready” and get involved; and
- Educate yourself and get involved in policy! Talk to policymakers about critical justice issues related to housing, transportation, and Maine’s care infrastructure limitations.
Resources That Can Help
Quick Tip Guide for Interrupting Ageism
https://bit.ly/3wMIpCo
Power in Aging Project
https://mainecouncilonaging.org/power_in_aging_project/
Business/Organization
We join the Age+ ME Movement! We stand for a Maine that is age-equitable. As an organization, we are committed to ensuring employees of all ages are valued and respected based on their performance and contributions. We commit to examining our hiring practices, training programs, benefits, and messaging to ensure we are a welcoming, supportive, equitable and inclusive place for older and younger people alike.
Actions You Can Take
- If your organization serves older people or has customers over 50, review and modify all internal documents, including mission, vision and goals, and public facing communications to be consistent with the language recommendations;
- Share these recommendations with your communications staff and ask them to incorporate the recommendations into future communications when talking about older people;
- Include age-bias when discussing other forms of bias in the workplace, including in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work;
- Include information on ageism and implicit age-bias in trainings and orientation to staff and volunteers;
- Engage older customers/clients in evaluating your customer service/service delivery model;
- Host a Power in Aging presentation for your staff;
- Sign an executive up to participate in the Leadership Exchange on Ageism;
- Maintain policies, practices and programs that support workers of all ages;
- Set clear expectations and accountability for all employees around acts of age discrimination and bias, including inappropriate jokes and stereotypes;
- Support inter-generational work teams; and
- Increase the inclusion and diversity of older persons in advertisements and social media, and present them in roles that reflect vitality.
Resources That Can Help
Tools & Resources to Build an Age+ Workplace:
SHRM Members can access a toolkit on employing older workers with recommended best practices.
https://www.shrm.org/ResourcesAndTools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/Pages/default.aspx
Take the AARP on-line assessment to evaluate strengths and weaknesses with age-specific diversity and inclusion practices.
https://www.aarpinternational.org/growingwithage/resources
Check out the Colorado campaign for age-friendly-intergenerational workplace.
https://changingthenarrativeco.org/age-friendly-intergenerational-workplaces-2/
Certification as an age-friendly employer can be a pathway to being intentional about becoming age-positive.
https://institute.agefriendly.org/initiatives/certified-age-friendly-employer-program/?nowprocket=1
Training for Executive Leadership on Building an Age-Positive Culture
https://mainecouncilonaging.org/leadership-exchange-on-ageism/
Pledges Made:
This is a work in progress, but we think in an Age+ Maine, systems will intentionally be designed to:
- Encourage a lifetime of purposeful living;
- Create meaningful opportunities to belong in community;
- Recognize the experiences of people of diverse older ages;
- Ensure all older people are welcomed and supported as workers, residents, and customers in our businesses, institutions and care facilities;
- Increase access to supports and services that prioritize older people living fully integrated in their communities;
- Support the financial security of people later in life and address prior economic injustices;
- Promote what matters most in physical, mental, social, & spiritual care; and
- Ensure dignity, autonomy, and self-determination for people who are older.
Join us in completing a vision for equitable aging in Maine and in helping us build a plan to achieve that vision by 2032!
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