Older people are unproductive and a burden on communities.

Most older persons continue to work well into old age, supporting themselves and others. Many more are unpaid workers - family and community leaders, carers of children and people who are ill, advisers, teachers, guardians of culture, volunteers, and so on. In both paid and unpaid work, the contributions of older people are invaluable.

Older people are different from the rest of us.

Older people are simply people who have lived for a long time. If we are fortunate, we too will grow old.
Older people are neither able to learn new skills and absorb new information nor do they need education or training.
Evidence suggests that older people are just as good at studying as anybody else, though they may be out of practice and may not always have confidence in their own abilities. It is common for older people everywhere to want to learn new skills, either to help them improve their quality of life, or to help them use the free time of retirement years more productively. The more skills and knowledge older people get, the more they will be able to continue to contribute to their families and communities.

Older people are helpless and cannot make decisions about their own lives.

Older persons generally know better than anybody else what they need. It is only in exceptional circumstances that they will be unable to make decisions or offer opinions on what is important to them.

Old age starts at 50.

60 years is the age that many governments define as the start of ‘senior citizen’. However, life expectancies vary for different countries, and there are many things that affect the ageing process. Some people may feel ‘old’ at the age of 35 years, while others are living full and productive lives after the age of 100. More recently, many people are not defining their age in terms of how many years they have lived, but in terms of what they can do.

Older people do not fall in love or have sexual relationships.

Feelings and emotions change throughout one’s life, but the full range feelings do not stop as you grow older.

Older people are likely to be weak, frail, ill or disabled.

Some physical conditions are more likely to occur in older people, but illness and disability are NOT inevitable in old age. Generally speaking, the healthier people are throughout their life span - the less likely it will be for them to suffer from chronic illnesses or disabling conditions as they grow older.

Older people are forgetful.

The stereotype of older people being forgetful is inaccurate. There are many ways to adapt to changes in memory. Additionally, many things can affect memory at any age, including stress, worry, depression or illness.

Expensive medical treatment is wasted on older people

The Ministry of Health’s stand is that all residents are entitled to the best medical treatment that can be provided. When older persons receive optimal medical treatment, their quality of life is maintained and they are more able to continue contributing to their communities. They are also less likely to develop serious illnesses which may require more complicated and expensive treatments.