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Millions of older people face discrimination every day because of their age, a shocking survey reveals on Tuesday.
Alarmingly, 63 percent have experienced it in the NHS while 85 percent have when dealing with banking and insurance.
The figures are revealed in a survey by the Silver Voices campaign group, which lays bare the impact of ageism in the UK.
Many people say they are talked down to or patronised, while others are discriminated against because of physical reasons such as mobility issues and poor eyesight.
The study of 1,000 people found that 86 percent have experienced negative attitudes because they are older.
With more than 14.5 million over-60s, this means some 12.5 million are likely to have been discriminated against.
The survey found 63 percent of older people experienced some form of age bias in the NHS, particularly being told that their illness or injury is because “they are old”. Some 34 percent said they had been denied an appointment because they did not want to use digital booking methods.
The scourge of digital services – such as using websites or phone apps to make bookings – is particularly acute among many older people who are not familiar with the technology or do not have computers or a mobile phone.
According to the study – carried out between May 31 and June 5 – some 85 percent had experienced age discrimination by the banking and insurance industries.
Of those, 62 percent of people said they felt it when attempting to arrange travel insurance, while 59 percent said they had missed out on retail special offers because they did not bank digitally.
An astonishing 41 percent claimed they had been subjected to overtly criminal discrimination as an older person, with 69 percent being taken advantage of by rogue traders or scammers and 44 percent said they had been overcharged by traders.
Meanwhile, some 20 percent of over-60s said they had experienced some form of age discrimination at work.
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Campaigners said the “truly shocking” findings reveal how discrimination and negative attitudes to older people are accepted and pervasive throughout society.
Dennis Reed, director of over-60s campaign group Silver Voices, said: “Our survey shows how age discrimination is endemic in UK society and I wager that every single senior citizen has several personal experiences of ageism. Millions are affected by age bias in the NHS, direct discrimination by the banking and insurance industries and being scammed and overcharged by traders.
“Businesses and public bodies are all indirectly discriminating against older people, as they rush to digital-only operations without providing easy alternatives.
“Negative attitudes towards older people in the media and from the public lead to age discrimination being taken less seriously than discrimination on other grounds, such as ethnic origin, disability and gender.
“This must change, and Silver Voices will press for a public inquiry into age discrimination and ageism in society”.
Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, said: “As people get older many face being treated differently because of their age, whether in a shop, the workplace or somewhere else. The way that millions of people over a certain age are frequently and casually patronised and treated as ‘old’ is unacceptable.
“Everyone should be treated with respect. While it’s right that we should watch out for people who may be at-risk or may have additional needs, assuming everyone needs special treatment simply because they are older is not the right way forward.
“Ageism is so firmly embedded in our culture it often goes unnoticed – though not by older people, who can feel personally diminished and devalued as a result.”
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