Published on October 6, 2008 by Donna Seale
Think about this one carefully…. Do you use "elderspeak"? Ever spoken a few notches higher to an elderly person, on the assumption that they have a hearing impairment? Or maybe spoken to them slower? Ever used the words "sweetie" or "dear", thinking you're being nice?
If so, whether it be in the workplace or outside of one, you might inadvertently be using language that imparts a negative perception of aging and which the elderly find demeaning. In other words, you could be using discriminatory language. This New York Times article entitled "In 'Sweetie' and 'Dear', a Hurt for the Elderly", details studies which show a causal link between how the elderly are addressed by the 'younger' population and their overall health and length of life.
Remember that saying "sticks and stones can break my bones but names will never hurt me?" I learned many years ago how untrue that one was, but isn't it interesting that we can even hurt people with apparent kindness? Kindness, it would seem, is in the ear of the listener. Keep that in mind the next time you're speaking with someone a generation or two your senior.
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Donna M. Seale B.A., LL. B.
Human Rights Lawyer
and Educator
