Fighting exclusion and age discrimination against older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: four key messages

We support the international call against vulnerability, exclusion and age discrimination of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

As people exposed to the issues of ageing, old age and related social phenomena, i.e. as gerontologists, geriatricians and other professionals, we are pleased to join the international call by Prof. Kieran Walsh, Director of the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology (ICSG), National University of Galway. At the same time, we call for the ethical and political warnings of this call to be reflected in the social and political life of the Czech Republic. Let us be aware of the extreme danger of age discriminatory (ageist), age segregationist and generally ethically problematic moods, attitudes or contexts of various measures in the unprecedented atmosphere of an infectious pandemic with its economic and political implications. Today's misconduct and inconsistencies could also foreshadow fundamental changes embedded in the long-term social order after the pandemic subsides.

Part of our joining this call is to "Stop ageism in the age of the coronavirus!" and you can add your signature to both of these appeals here: www.zivot90.cz/stopageismu.

Prague, 10 April 2020

The call was formulated on the basis of the experience gained during the four-year collaboration of the international COST ROSEnet research network (CA15122) "Reducing Old-Age Social Exclusion through Collaborations in Research and Policy". This network, bringing together experts from nearly 40 countries, has looked in detail at the issue of social exclusion in old age and identified the sources and impacts of disadvantage that have a direct negative impact on quality of life, health and access to civil rights and freedoms.

For more information on the project and its outcomes, please contact us by email (vidovicova@fss.muni.cz) or visit the website: http://rosenetcost.com/about/.

Original text of the call in English HERE.

Full text in English: https://www.ageismus.cz/