AgeGuide joins the American Society on Aging and allies across the world for Ageism Awareness Day
AgeGuide Northeastern Illinois and the American Society on Aging (ASA) will celebrate Ageism Awareness Day on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. Modeled after the United Nation’s International Day of Older Persons, Ageism Awareness Day is an opportunity to examine ageism in our society. This year, we are highlighting the richness and wide-ranging experiences of aging to counteract the myth that our chronological age defines who we are.
“We start aging the moment we’re born,” says AgeGuide CEO Marla Fronczak. “But aging isn’t decline, it’s growth. With age comes wisdom, experience, and perspective that make our families and communities stronger.”
Yet one of the most widespread and socially accepted forms of prejudice, ageism is defined by the World Health Organization as “the stereotypes (how we think), prejudices (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or ourselves based on age.” It impacts us at all ages, every time people make assumptions about us because of our age.
Ageism can be found everywhere, from our workplaces and health systems to entertainment, and the media. But despite the many pervasive myths about aging, reality is quite different:
• Myth: Avoiding aging makes us happier and healthier. Reality: Negative self-perceptions can reduce quality of life and even shorten lifespan by 7.5 years.
• Myth: Aging is the same for everyone. Reality: Experiences vary by genetics, demographics, and culture. Ageism also exacerbates other experiences of discrimination.
• Myth: Generations are fundamentally different. Reality: Intergenerational differences are overstated; we share far more than we think, and collaboration benefits all ages.
“Ageism holds us back,” adds Fronczak. “By breaking down barriers and embracing every stage of life, we can make our later years healthier, more connected, and more rewarding.”
Learn more about ageism and how to take action at the ASA Ageism Awareness Day webpage, and check out the Age Guide podcast series, Aging Unfiltered.
Ageism Awareness Day brings much-needed attention to this issue, but it’s the ongoing dialogue that drives change. The Age Guide podcast: Aging Unfiltered continues the discussion into the challenges of agism and reimagines what it means to grow older. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
About AgeGuide Northeastern Illinois
AgeGuide Northeastern Illinois, an Area Agency on Aging, is a nonprofit organization responsible for developing and coordinating a network of services for older adults throughout an eight-county area in northeastern Illinois. AgeGuide informs and advises public and private agencies and the general public of the needs of older people living in its region, and acts as an advocate on their behalf. The Agency serves DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties. Other information about AgeGuide, visit www.AgeGuide.org
About the American Society on Aging
The American Society on Aging unites, empowers, and champions everyone working in aging. Since 1954, ASA has developed and led the largest, most diverse community of professionals working in aging in America. As a result, ASA has become the go-to source to cultivate leadership, advance knowledge, and strengthen the skills of our members and others who work with and on behalf of older adults. For further information about ASA, visit www.asaging.org.