1st October - International Day of Older Persons

 International Day of Older Persons:


The International Day of Older Persons is observed on October 1 each year. On December 14, 1990 the United Nations General Assembly voted to establish October 1 as theInternational Day of Older Persons as recorded in Resolution 45/106. The holiday was observed for the first time on October 1, 1991.

International Day of Older Persons
Observed by	All UN Member States
Date	October 1
Next time	1 October 2016
Frequency	annual

The International Day of Older Persons is observed on October 1 each year.

On December 14, 1990 the United Nations General Assembly voted to establish October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons as recorded in Resolution 45/106.^[1] The holiday was observed for the first time on October 1, 1991.^[2]

The holiday is celebrated by raising awareness about issues affecting the elderly, such as senescence and elder abuse. It is also a day to appreciate the contributions that older people make to society.

This holiday is similar to National Grandparents Day in the United States andCanada as well as Double Ninth Festival inChina and Respect for the Aged Day in Japan. The observance is a focus of ageingorganizations and the United Nations Programme on Ageing.

Annual ThemesEdit

• 2011: The Growing Opportunities & Challenges of Global Ageing
• 2012: Longevity: Shaping the Future
• 2013: The future we want: what older persons are saying
• 2014: Leaving No One Behind: Promoting a Society for All
• 2015: Sustainability and Age Inclusiveness in the Urban Environment
• 2016: Take A Stand Against Ageism

International Day of Older Persons 2016

1st October - Take a Stand Against Ageism

Kate Holt / HelpAge International

The International Day of Older Persons is an opportunity to highlight the important contributions that older people make to society and raise awareness of the issues and challenges of ageing in today’s world.

The theme for 2016, Take a Stand Against Ageism, challenges everyone to consider ageism – the negative attitudes and discrimination based on age - and the detrimental impact it has on older people.

The World Health Assembly resolution related to the WHO Global Strategy and Action Plan on Ageing and Health, adopted in May 2016, calls on the Director-General to develop, in cooperation with other partners, a Global campaign to combat ageism and achieve the ultimate goal of enhancing the day-to-day experience of older people and to optimize policy responses.

Ageism is stereotyping and discrimination on the basis of a person’s age. Ageism is widespread and an insidious practice which has harmful effects on the health of older adults. This year, we challenge everyone to identify and question these internalized ageist attitudes, and to understand the serious impact that these attitudes have.

For older people, ageism is an everyday challenge. Overlooked for employment, restricted from social services and stereotyped in the media, ageism marginalizes and excludes older people in their communities.

Ageism is everywhere, yet it is the most socially “normalized” of any prejudice, and is not widely countered – like racism or sexism. It exists when the media portrays all old people as “frail” and “dependent”. It influences (subconsciously or actively) the policy maker to opt for cost containment in preference to making appropriate adaptations and investment in infrastructure and services for ageing societies These attitudes, pervasive yet invisible, lead to the marginalisation of older people within our communities and have negative impacts on their health and well-being.

Older people who feel they are a burden may also perceive their lives to be less valuable, putting them at risk of depression and social isolation. Research shows that older adults with negative attitudes about ageing may live 7.5 years less than those with positive attitudes.