Ageism Shortens Lives and Worsens Health, Research Shows

Full analysis

Decades of research, including the World Health Organization's 2021 Global Report on Ageism, links ageism to shorter lifespans, poorer physical and mental health, slower recovery from disability, and cognitive decline. Two forms appear in retirement: benign ageism — treating older adults as frail or incapable, sometimes under the guise of protection — and malignant ageism, which frames older people as a societal burden. In medical settings specifically, a 2017 review by Swift and colleagues found that ageist perceptions led physicians to be less likely to correctly diagnose conditions and provide proper treatment to older patients. In the workplace, a 2011 meta-analysis found ageism affects hiring, career advancement, access to training, and performance appraisals for older workers.

Michael Shelton, a licensed professional counselor, argues that standard retirement planning never addresses ageism, leaving people unprepared for an experience that is effectively universal. His five practical recommendations: acknowledge that ageism is real and will happen to you; recognize the research evidence that it causes genuine harm; call it out when you encounter it; ask your medical or mental health provider about their training and comfort working with older adults; and seek out intergenerational groups — settings where older and younger people work cooperatively on shared tasks — which research suggests reduce age-based prejudice on both sides.