Florence Klein on Ageism

Octogenarian Florence Klein, author of “Under the Hat: Memoir of an Unstoppable Woman Trailblazer,” joins Suzanne, talking about ageism and about being “old.”

Florence says, “What is the meaning of old? “Oh, you’re old.” I have always felt that the word old when referring to someone who is of a certain age, starts very young. I never considered my grand mom Ida old. Yes, I was aware that she was older than me. However, I never thought of her as incapable, or incompetent to take charge of her life. She was an active woman, and we often blurred out the word “old” carelessly, not at all realizing the negative connotations. And I personally have always believed that the concept of old stays with you from an early age on throughout. Even now at 89, I don’t consider myself old. I know that’s all relative, but we all know how the person that may be 31 or 32 considers themselves old.

“Let’s look at the definition of the term ageism, because it differs from just being older. The Miriam Webster Dictionary defines ageism as a prejudice or discrimination against a particular age group, and especially the elderly… But it’s not just older people that are discriminated against, it’s younger people, and older people sometimes discriminate against the youth, especially adolescents and children. Media is very condescending toward it, and media themselves says, oh, you’re so young, or you’re just too young for that. And that’s what happened. And elders also perpetuate themselves and ageism. And so we have to be more aware of it, and that’s why now people are talking about it, because after all, so much more of the population, fortunately, is staying healthier and living longer.”

Learn more:
* Florence’s website: https://florenceunderthehat.com/
* Under the Hat: Memoir of an Unstoppable Woman Trailblazer: https://florenceunderthehat.com/product/under-the-hat
* Books by Florence Klein: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Florence-Klein

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/