Jenna Wickens – CFS Counseling & Wellbeing as the MatureMinds Coordinator

Topic: The Future is Old: Confronting Ageism for Better Health and a Brighter Tomorrow. Speaker urges a positive approach to ageing

Bill Holman introduced guest speaker Jenna Wickens who works with CFS Counselling and Wellbeing. She believes that the future is old and, in her role, provides advocacy, education, programs, volunteer opportunities and community resource consultation that support our intrinsic value as we get older.

Jenna studied community recreation at Brock University and Niagara College and recently earned a designation as a Certified Professional Consultant on aging.

Ageism — a bias based on age — is one of the most accepted forms of prejudice. It shapes how we treat others, how we see ourselves and how we age.

She said that the term ‘old’ is Jenna Wickens seen as a negative and noted that one in three have experienced ageism which relates to how we think, feel and act toward others and ourselves.

She used the messages on many birthday cards to illustrate how stereotypes about aging can be reinforced and showed a brief video using the ‘best before date’ message as it might relate to people as they age.

Jenna pointed out that ageism is the only ‘ism’ that reveals prejudice toward our future selves. She added that ageism can be bad for your health and that studies have shown that people with positive feelings lived seven and a half years longer than those with a negative attitude.

She said that although retired people are some of the busiest people, typical media messages on aging illustrate seniors as invisible, extreme — being either weak and sick or superheroes — while most end up somewhere in between the two extremes. She said aging is also seen as a disease or disaster to be avoided.

Jenna said that we need to see growing old as an opportunity and not a liability. She also offered a few potential responses to people who make comments such as “you are looking good, for your age.”

She closed with a quote from C.S. Lewis who said, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream”.

Duncan McLaren thanked Jenna for her presentation and provided her with a gift card in a token of appreciation.

Ageism speaker Jenna Wickens meets Probus member Bob Trinder who marked his 101st birthday in October.