The International Federation on Ageing recently wrote that “some of the most important barriers to effective public health policy on healthy ageing are misconceptions, negative attitudes and assumptions about older people.”

The World Health Organization’s Global Strategy and Action Plan on Ageing and Health recognizes that achieving healthy ageing will be dependent on our ability to combat ageism.

Let’s all be mindful of the words we choose and the assumptions we hold. Every small change contributes to bigger, normative transformations.