MARQUETTE — Right off the bat, a word ending in “ism” can’t be a positive. So, it is with ageism. Until recently, I didn’t know it was even an identifiable thing. Ageism is “prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age.” It is another form of bigotry like racism and sexism.

Further examination of this term refers to the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or oneself based on age. While ageism transcends the full spectrum of ages, I will focus on the elder years.

This is what ageism for older adults looks like: losing a job because of your age, being refused interest-free credit, a new credit card, car insurance or travel insurance because of your age, receiving a lower quality of service because of attitudes to older people, or limited treatment options for medical care because you are ‘too old’.

Common myths associated with this stereotype are, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, old people are cranky, old people are a drain on the economy and old people are a burden.

Ageism also has far-reaching impacts on all aspects of our health and well-being when we are older. It is associated with earlier death. It is linked to poorer physical health, affecting, among others, our ability to recover from disability.

Ageism increases risky health behaviors such as eating an unhealthy diet and smoking. It is associated with poorer mental health, including the onset of depression, increases in depressive symptoms over time and lifetime depression. Ageism is a big deal.

This is not a personal check list you want to be reviewing.

Something else right off the bat, ageism is associated with a lower quality of life and contributes to social isolation and loneliness. That hits home for me. In my work with Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly I hear from isolated older neighbors in our programs about how at their age and stage in life, it is difficult to make friends. Their friends have passed and they don’t socialize anymore.

Our signature program is Friendly Visiting where a volunteer is matched with an older adult for just that, friendly visits. Other LBFE programs and services include holiday meals, social gatherings, transportation to medical appointments and as always more.

At LBFE, we celebrate older adults. There are good things associated with getting older. Think of senior discounts, more time with family, more time for hobbies and volunteer work, and as always, it beats the alternative.

I have read, as our birthday cake becomes full of candles, we can work to expand the quality of life for each year. I like that thought and the thought of going to bat for our elderly neighbors.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Leslie Bek is program manager for the Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly, Upper Michigan chapter in Marquette County. Contact leslie.bek@littlebrothers.org; 906-273-2575. LBFE Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw, Ontonagon Counties Hancock Administration office 906-482-6944. houghton.littlebrothers.org.