Implications for policy and planning to foster solidarity between the generations and enhance healthy life among older adults

This policy document is a compilation of the studies of the five Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) in Working Party (WP) 2. WP2 explores ageism in access to goods and services: social and health services (formal, informal) and appropriate drug treatment. It examines the origins, manifestations, and consequences of ageism in social life, social and health care services and medication treatment. The integration of the five programmes of individual study provides an opportunity to identify common threads of contextual influences on the manifestation of ageism and its negative outcomes, such as poor access to goods and services, including access for people living with dementia; social support; health and social care, including timely and appropriate medications. Given its multidimensional nature, ageism has to be studied from a multi-disciplinary perspective to consider both the individual (micro), social (meso) and structural (macro) levels. As such, WP2, through the five ESRs programmes of study, will compare and contrast the intersections between individuals and society. This analysis involves ageist attitudes and behaviours - perpetuated by the media - and held by older adults, by others in their social environment and those of service providers. WP2 addresses ageism as a factor that impacts all aspects of life including social relations, media, social care and health care. This policy document provides a synthesis of the five programmes of work to highlight the implications for, and to inform policy on, fostering solidarity between generations and enhancing healthy life among older adults.