Making ageism old news

On a mission to make ageism old news

Age Scotland has been campaigning over the years to shift the negative narrative that exists around ageing and tackle ageism in all its forms. We recently launched ‘Making ageism old news- a guide to reporting on older people’ and hope it will be a useful and informative tool for people reporting on issues facing older people and help avoid ageist stereotypes and negative images portraying later life. Our recent Big Survey painted a stark picture of how older people feel they are regarded and portrayed in Scotland, with only 7% agreeing that older people are represented positively in the media. It made very tough reading and we felt compelled to do something. We hope our guide will be a step in the right direction towards changing the narrative around older people and encouraging reporters to highlight the countless positive contributions made by those in later life. The guide has been endorsed by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) for Scotland. John Toner, NUJ national organiser, Scotland said: “Age Scotland has performed a very valuable service by identifying terms that are outmoded and offensive to many people. We hope that this sparks a growing interest in how older people’s issues are reported.”

access the media guide at age.scot/mediaguide.

Carers – know your rights

If you are an unpaid carer, are you aware of your rights? There are an estimated 1.1 million unpaid carers in Scotland, all of whom are entitled to certain rights as laid out in the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016. Unfortunately, many unpaid carers are unaware or unsure of what these are, and how to realise them. These could include support from their local authority or health board with information, advice, finances, training, or involvement in decisions such as hospital discharge planning. Older carers could have an “underlying entitlement” to Carers Allowance which could increase their Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction. To help, Age Scotland has launched the #KnowYourRights campaign, designed to raise awareness of carers’ rights so that all unpaid carers in Scotland can access all of the support and benefits they need. How Age Scotland can help We offer a range of free resources to assist carers in better understanding and realising their rights, such as: • Training courses • Workshops • Information guides • Advice through our free 0800 12 44 222 helpline

We want as many people as possible to have access to these resources, so that more carers can receive everything they are entitled to. Find out more about the campaign at age.scot/carersrights.