Age‐friendly Universities (AFU): Combating and inoculating against ageism in a pandemic and beyond

Abstract

Manifestations of ageism during the recent COVID‐19 pandemic call for ways to combat persistent negative views of older adults and the disparities they fuel, especially in light of the aging of populations. We discuss the pioneering Age‐Friendly University (AFU) initiative that takes a systems‐level approach and offers guiding principles for advancing age inclusivity, which in turn can combat and inoculate individuals against ageism. In particular, the principles advocate that older adults be enabled to participate in core educational activities in higher education for personal and professional development and that institutions extend aging education, research on aging, and intergenerational exchange. The need for educational institutions to be more age‐friendly has become even more clear and pressing during the pandemic, where ageism has been exacerbated. Drawing on empirical evidence, we show how AFU principles can be applied to disrupt the roots of ageism and age biases, and disparities in healthcare and work environments. Connections between the AFU initiative and the Age‐Friendly Communities, Age‐Friendly Health Systems, and Age‐Friendly Employers initiatives are suggested as a collective move toward a more age‐inclusive ecosystem that fosters the well‐being of all people as they age.

Reducing ageism toward older adults and highlighting older adults as contributors during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…University students often have little to no intergenerational contact with older adults, thus social policies and interventions that focus on universities and colleges are paramount. For example, more universities are embracing the Age‐Friendly University (AFU) initiative which provides institutions of higher education “a framework for developing programs, practices, and partnerships to address the challenges precipitated by aging populations and persistent ageism” (Montepare & Brown, 2022 , p. 2). In the past few years, the number of AFU's has grown to 80 universities in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the U.S. (Montepare & Brown, 2022 ).…”

“…For example, more universities are embracing the Age‐Friendly University (AFU) initiative which provides institutions of higher education “a framework for developing programs, practices, and partnerships to address the challenges precipitated by aging populations and persistent ageism” (Montepare & Brown, 2022 , p. 2). In the past few years, the number of AFU's has grown to 80 universities in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the U.S. (Montepare & Brown, 2022 ). As the number of universities and colleges adopting the principles of AFU continues to rise, there will be more opportunities for young undergraduate students to interact with older adults in the classroom and throughout the university as a whole.…”

Eradicating ageism through social campaigns: An Israeli case study in the shadows of the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…One strategy for eradicating ageism, which does not have enough empirical support is social media campaigns (Officer & de la Fuente‐Núñez, 2018 ). This strategy is based on the perception that the media has the power and force to help bring about behavioral change in mass populations (Meisner, 2021 ; Wakefield et al., 2010 ). Even though our study does not provide empirical evidence for the effectiveness of this strategy, this paper contributes by highlighting important insights from three different campaigns conducted within an extreme period in human history.…”

“…During the early outbreak of the COVID‐19 pandemic, the virus was presented as solely a ‘problem of older people.’ Older people were presented as ‘vulnerable,’ and ‘at risk,’ while younger people were defined as being ‘irresponsible and as people who are threatening the social order.’ Ageism during the pandemic era was evident in a variety of ways including prioritizing the layoff of older people over younger people; economic incentives tied to the age of the workers; the setting of lockdown and exit strategies based on age; as well as arguments about the ethics concerning triage and the delivery of life‐saving treatments (Ayalon et al., 2021 ). In other words, the pandemic has emphasized age‐biased thoughts, feelings and behaviors and intensified tension between the generations (e.g., Albarracin & Jung, 2021 ; Ayalon et al., 2021 ; Ihara et al., 2021 , Meisner, 2021 ).…”

Intergenerational programming during the pandemic: Transformation during (constantly) changing times

“…Undergraduate students involved with intergenerational service‐learning have demonstrated improved positive attitudes toward older adults (Andreoletti & Howard, 2018 ; Lytle & Levy, 2019 ; Martin, 2019 ), increased knowledge of aging (Lytle & Levy, 2019 ; Martin, 2019 ), a greater appreciation for older generations (Martin, 2019 ), and more positive ideas about growing older (Kalisch et al., 2013 ). Such efforts are further enhanced at universities that adopt Age‐Friendly University principles (see Montepare & Brown, 2022 ).…”