TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Exchange Aging Education: A Worldwide Imperative Aging Education: A Worldwide Imperative

Life expectancy is increasing worldwide. Unfortunately, people are generally not prepared for this long life ahead and have ageist attitudes that inhibit maximizing the “longevity dividend” they have been given. Aging education can prepare people for life’s later years and combat ageism. It can reimage aging as a time of continued growth, development and fulfillment. Unfortunately, aging education is not a common occurrence. This education needs to begin with children and continue throughout life. This article discusses why we need to teach about aging and aging education content, suggests a conceptual framework for aging education, and presents aging education resources. The concept of ageism is discussed and suggestions for combating ageism are proposed.


Ageism
Dr. Robert Butler, a renowned gerontologist and the first director of the National Institute on Aging in the United States, defined ageism as stereotyping and discrimination against people because they are old (Butler, 1969;Butler & Lewis, 1973). Ageism has been described as the ultimate prejudice and the cruelest form of rejection (Palmore, 2001;. Like other "isms" ageism devalues and influences the behaviors of its victims (Butler, 1995) and influences the behaviors of others toward older people. Unlike other "isms" that target specific groups, ageism has the potential to target everyone. Ageism is a worldwide occurrence (Palmore, 2004). Ageist attitudes inhibit understanding that there is potential for activity, happiness, wellness, and fulfillment throughout life (Pratt, 1983). Ageism exists in many different forms. It has become so commonplace that it may actually be an unintentional bias, an unconscious force that is not even recognized when it occurs (Levy, 2003;Sweetland, Volmert, & O'Neil, 2017). More than 100 forms of ageism have been identified in the Encyclopedia of Ageism (Palmore, Branch, & Harris, 2005).
The Revera Report on Ageism, a study of ageism in Canada, found ageism to be prevalent and the most tolerated form of social prejudice in the country (Wellner & Spadafora, 2016). The Report identified the need to: reframe aging and combat ageism, recognize one's own aging stereotypes and prejudices, educate people about aging and ageism, and foster intergenerational relationships and collaborations. It noted that positive attitudes about aging and knowledge about aging are essential to combating ageism. The Revera Age is More (http://ageismore.com) initiative addresses the need to combat the negative assumptions, attitudes, and stereotypes faced by older adults and celebrates the ageless spirit of older adults.
The FrameWorks Institute Report, Finding the Frame: An Empirical Approach to Reframing Aging and Ageism, addressed the need to: reframe perceptions of aging, increase public awareness of ageism, improve attitudes about aging, and combat ageism (Sweetland et al., 2017). Ageist attitudes tend to become self-fulfilling prophecies. People who expect a downward course of life tend to live life accordingly (McGuire, Klein, & Couper, 2005). People cannot afford to face the future with a mindset of ageism and gerontophobia and society cannot afford to have its future guided by people who grow up ignorant about aging .

Attitudes about Aging
Attitudes about aging are a significant factor in how people age (Dychtwald & Fowler, 1990). Ageist attitudes are propagated from one generation to the next and are transmitted through all the media by which societal knowledge, values, and attitudes are perpetuated. Even Facebook, a popular form of social media, has been identified as a site for ageist stereotypes (Levy, Chung, Bedford, & Navrazhina, 2013). Unfortunately, research has consistently shown that even young children have ageist attitudes, and that these attitudes increase as the child grows older-this needs to change and a more positive view of aging needs to be enhanced.
Research has consistently shown that people who have positive attitudes and perceptions about aging are living longer, healthier lives than their counterparts who do not (Levy, 2009;Levy, 2003;Levy, 1996;Levy, Pilver, Chung, & Slade, 2014;Levy, Pilver, & Pietryzak, 2014;Levy, Slade, Chung, & Gill, 2015;Levy, Slade, Kunkel, & Kasl, 2002;Levy, Slade, Murphy, & Gill, 2012;Levy, Zonderman, Slade, & Ferrucci, 2012;Levy, Zonderman, Slade, & Ferrucci, 2009). This research has additionally shown that negative age stereotypes and perceptions are predictors of adverse outcomes in old age, tend to become internalized across the lifespan, can operate unconsciously, gain self-relevance, have negative psychological, behavioral, and physiological impacts, and are a risk factor of cardiovascular disease. It has also shown that positive, nonageist attitudes can help to combat these adverse outcomes, that people with positive attitudes about aging have a lower incidence of psychiatric conditions, more resilience when encountering stressful events, better recovery from disabling events, better memory, better balance, and are living longer. An alarming research finding is that negative age stereotypes predict Alzheimer's disease biomarkers (Levy et al., 2016). Such findings emphasize the importance of combating ageism and promoting positive attitudes about aging. Lifespan aging education can help to promote knowledge about aging, promote positive attitudes about aging, combat ageism, avoid adverse outcomes in old age, promote aging with optimism, and aid the effort to reimage worldwide aging.

Lifespan Aging Education
In general, people reach later life with little or no formal education on aging or anticipatory guidance about aging. In the United States lifespan aging education has been endorsed since the first White House Conference on Aging, Education andAging in 1961 (United States Department of Health, Education, &Welfare, 1961).
However, little is happening in the U.S. in homes, schools, and communities in relation to aging education (McGuire, Klein, & Couper, 2005) and lack of this education is likely a worldwide phenomenon. Research has consistently shown that aging education can help to dispel ageist myths and stereotypes, and combat ageism and gerontophobia. This education should start with young children. "If we teach children that growing old is a natural part of life, and raise them to appreciate and value the contributions of older people to their world, ageist stereotypes and fears of growing old will become obsolete" (Butler, 1999, p. v).
Aging education should teach about the potential for good health, activity, productivity, and creativity at all stages of life (Pratt, 1987). It should be intergenerational, developmentally focused, anticipatory education that promotes positive attitudes about aging (McGuire, 1993 to enable children to assess their perceptions of the aging process and how it affects them; and 3) to expose children to an unbiased look at the attributes, behaviors, and characteristics of older adults in a variety of roles. Table 1 suggests a conceptual framework for lifespan aging education.

Why Teach about Aging?
People will learn about aging whether we teach them or not, but all too often what they learn about aging is based on myths about the aging process and stereotypes of people that are entrenched in our cultures (Pratt, 1992

Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)
There is little mention of aging education at the precollege level until the 1960s (Myers, 1977;Myers, 1979;

Children's Literature and Aging Education
Ageism has crept its way into children's literature (Ansello, 1988;Ansello, 1977;McGuire, 2005). However, when carefully selected, children's literature has been shown to be an important aging education resource (Crawford, 2000;McGuire, 2016

Intergenerational Connections as Aging Education
Intergenerational collaborations can educate about aging, promote understanding between generations, and combat ageism (Sweetland et al., 2017;Friedman, 1999;McDuffie & Whiteman, 1989;Wellner & Spadafora, 2016). Some of the most successful learning environments are those where children and seniors learn together (Morgan & Ellis, 2007). Limitless opportunities exist for these collaborations in communities worldwide but are often underutilized. Every day presents opportunities to connect generations, but taking the initiative is the key. These everyday examples include things such as older adults in schools and child care centers, children assisting older adults, intergenerational service learning, intergenerational choirs, intergenerational orchestras and music programs, intergenerational art activities, and intergenerational environmental and community projects. Intergenerational community centers effectively incorporate older people into communities and combat ageism (Sweetland et al., 2017). Intergenerational connections can happen imme-diately, at little or no cost, and with proven reciprocal rewards (Wellner & Spadafora, 2016).
Dr. Sally Newman, a champion of intergenerational scholarship and practice and founder of Generations Together at the University of Pittsburgh and the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, noted that increased age segregation has resulted in decreased intergenerational exchange, knowledge, and understanding . Her works in the intergenerational field are classics including her book, Intergenerational Programs: Past, Present, and Future (Newman, Ward, Smith, Wilson, & McCrea, 1997). The book is out-of-print but often available through libraries and vendors.

Self-Awareness
The importance of self-awareness in relation to attitudes about aging was incorporated in both the FrameWorks Institute Report, Finding the Frame: An Empirical Approach to Reframing Aging and Ageism, (Sweetland et al., 2016) and the Revera Report on Ageism (Wellner & Spadafora, 2016). Evaluating one's own attitudes about aging is an aging education and ageism awareness intervention. It is important to understand one's attitudes about aging, how these attitudes may be perceived by others, and how they may impact others (Wellner & Spadafora, 2016). In self-evaluation ageist attitudes may become evident. This can inspire self-learning about aging, efforts to combat ageist attitudes, becoming an advocate for combating ageism, promoting positive aging, and viewing aging with optimism. It can help people to explore their "elder within" (Dychtwald & Fowler, 1990), what they would like to be as an older adult, and what they need to do to accomplish it.

Internet and Media Resources
Internet and media resources can provide useful information on aging.

Conclusion
Aging is a lifelong experience in which everyone is already involved. Increased life expectancy worldwide makes preparation for a long life in an aging world imminently important. People need to maximize the longevity dividend they have been given and view "aging with optimism". This article has focused on the need for aging education to help prepare people for the long life ahead and living in an aging world, the need to combat ageism, and presented resources for achieving both. These efforts will involve worldwide initiatives. A number of the aging education resources presented involved laying a foundation for positive aging with children. Today's children are the future of tomorrow. They will be leaders, teachers, policy makers, and older adults of tomorrow. Let's strive to give them the gifts of successful aging, quality of life in old age, and the readiness to live life in an aging world.
Many aging education opportunities can be implemented immediately, at little cost, and with proven outcomes. Aging education needs champions! Combating agism needs champions! Opportunities to be champions exist everyday in our homes, schools, communities. Be a champion for improving the quality of life in old age for everyone, everywhere! We can all be these champions. Let's do it!!