Associate Program Material

Aging and Disability Worksheet

Part I

Identify 2 or 3 issues faced by the aging population.

1. The elderly have not saved enough for their retirement
2. Some elderly have no living will
3. Business practices

Answer the following questions in 100 to 200 words each. Provide citations for all the sources you use.

What is ageism? How does ageism influence the presence of diversity in society?

Ageism is a form of discrimination and prejudice, particularly experienced by seniors. Most seniors ore mentally and physically active regardless of age with a great deal to contribute However, societal norms marginalize seniors, treat them with disrespect, make them feel unwelcome and otherwise generalize as if they were all the same. Ageism robs seniors of choice, independence, and dignity and negatively impacts their quality of life. The ALFA seeks to illuminate discriminatory practices that adversely affect senior’s lives. In 2013, the ALFA will continue to identify opportunities to throw ageist prejudices on their heads.
(2003, AFLA)

What is the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)? How does the ADEA address issues for the aging population?

The Age Discrimination in Employment act (ADEA) was passed 40 years ago, and the original Act prohibited discrimination on the basis of age for those aged 40-65. Subsequent amendments raised the upper age limit to 70 and then eliminated it altogether, ending mandatory retirement for nearly all works. The aging of the population in the U.S will pose significant public policy challenges over the next few decades. Most significantly, population aging means that public policy must be increasingly concerned with the employment of older individuals, because continued employment implies lower dependency ratios, greater income, more tax revenues, and decreased public expenditures on health insurance, retirement benefits, and income support depending on the age of the individual and their economic circumstances. With these concerns, perhaps the most important is to view the ADEAs potential to encourage the continued employment of those older Americans who desire to continue working. (2008, David Newmark)

What is being done to address the issues you identified?

According to the theory, workers and firms into into implicit long-term contracts that pay workers less than what their output is worth to the firm when they are young and more than what it is worth when they are old. Firms use mandatory retirement to prevent workers form working past the point when they have been fully paid for their work. By ending mandatory retirement, the ADEA may have made it more difficult for workers and firms to enter into such contracts and thereby harmed both parties. So the ADEA encourages the continued employment of older Americans who want to work, resulting in lover public expenditures on health insurance, retirement benefits, and income support. (National Bureau of Economic Research)

Is the number of aging population expected to rise in numbers or decrease?

The older population persons 65 years or older numbered 39.6 million in 2009, they represented 12.9 % of the U.S population, about one in every eight Americans. By 2030, there will be about 72.1 million older Americans. People 65+ represented 12.4% of the population in year 2000 but are expected to grow to be 19% of the population by 2030. So according the information provided by the AOA the population in the elderly is supposed to increase by 2030. (2013, AOA)

What types of legislation may or may not be affected by the aging population?

An aging population means an aging state workforce that translates into a growing demand on state pension funds, more workers retiring, many of whom may be supervisors, and need to recruit top-rotch younger workers to take their place. Public employees are, on average, older than the general population, and many have the opportunity to retire with