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In common with all developed countries, the population of Britain is ageing. Much has been written about the impact demographic change will have on our societies in the first part of the next century. An ageing population brings problems for health care, pensions and particularly the labour market. With fewer younger people coming into the labour market, increasing the participation rate of older people in the workforce is a high priority. This paper argues that, unless there is a change in attitudes on the part of employers towards the employment of older workers the achievement of full employment will be accompanied by rising numbers of men aged 50 and above who are not working. In consequence the Gross Domestic Product will be lower than it would otherwise be and intergenerational transfers between those in work and those aged 50 and above would continue to be substantial.

Addressing ageism in healthcare through gerontological nursing
Sherry Dahlke, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, discusses the impact of ageism in healthcare and why gerontological nursing education is vital for improving awareness and patient care. The World Health Organization's (WHO, 2021) global report on ageism reports that one in every two people is ageist towards older people. Ageism includes stereotypes about aging and older adults (beliefs), prejudice (feelings) and/or discrimination through actions (WHO, 2021). Ageism can occur between people, be institutionalized, and/or self-directed. For example, ageism occurs in healthcare when older people who often have complex health and social needs are expected to fit into systems designed for younger people with one health concern (Kojima, 2018), resulting in adverse health outcomes (Chang et al., 2020). Exposure to negative stereotypes of aging can lead people to internalize negative beliefs of inevitable decline, resulting in them experiencing adverse effects of ageism as they age (Levy, 2009; Steward, 2022).

Book reviewed in this article:T. D. Nelson (ed.), Ageism: Stereotyping and Prejudice against Older Persons

In 2021, five decades after it was first defined, ageism was declared by the World Health Organization to be a global challenge that needs to be addressed. This article reviews the potential ageist elements in social media, the mass media, and healthcare practices directed towards older adults during a recent global context, the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence indicates that some presentations relating to older adults in the mass media and social media contained ageist elements ranging from the more subtle forms of ageism to more explicit forms, such as nicknames given to the COVID-19 pandemic in social media (e.g. 'Senior Deleter'). Evidence also reveals that during the pandemic some medical practices were ageist.

This article challenges all of us—policymakers, practitioners, scientists, members of the medical profession, the public at large—to intervene in the most basic of all problems of old age: "ageism," a term the coinage of which I lay claim to. In concluding this special issue of The Annals on interventions designed to enhance the quality of aging, I begin with a history of ageism as a disease. I specify many of its manifestations, which still linger today despite years of effort to dispel the false stereotypes and myths about older people. Concerning the treatment of ageism as a disease, I find that knowledge is the most basic intervention, serving as antidote to numerous erroneous but widely held beliefs. I conclude with a brief rehearsal of a few interventions of special interest, including support for older people's sense of mastery, provision of specially designed self-help books, and the recognition of older people both as constituting an important market and as potential contributors to the productive capacity of the society.

Abstract
Based on an ethnographic study the article explores ageism in the context of gyms in Israel. It questions perceptions of 'old age' as having self-evident existence. As bodily characteristics are prominent in the social surrounding of the gym, this context serves as a convenient sphere for examining ageism. The findings reveal that fitness activity is perceived by all gym participants as serving to mitigate physical fragility. They also demonstrate that the attitude toward older exercisers shifts from encouragement to contempt and disregard. However, significant differences were found, depending on the contexts and situations, the specific sites, the extent of social integration, and other characteristics.

Introduction and overview -- Elder justice writ large and small : a history -- Ageism : "ism" or isn't it? -- "Health justice is social justice" : a public health perspective -- Elder justice on the global stage -- Elder abuse as a threat to elder justice -- Seeking justice through the justice system -- "And justice for all" : parity and fairness -- Consumer choice : the power and perils -- Elder justice in illness, death, and beyond -- Moving forward -- An elder justice agenda.

Older people are the largest group accessing and using care services within Europe (Eurostat 2015) and are often referred to as a "burden" (Beard and Bloom 2015). Improvements in public health, medical screening, timely treatments, and improved health and social care services in industrialized countries have all contributed to people living longer and healthier lives (Carr and Komp 2011). Average life expectancy is now estimated to be 78 years in developed countries and 68 years in less developed countries, with the gap continually narrowing every year. By 2045–2050, life expectancy is projected to reach 83 years in more developed countries and 75 years in less developed countries (Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division 2013). Whilst a defining characteristic of the ageing process may involve increased vulnerability to a decline in health and wellbeing (Kirkwood 2014), novel approaches to wellbeing alongside complex biological, medical, psychosocial, political, and economic factors can influence both individual and group trajectories in later life. Ageing remains an extremely complex field in terms of understanding the relationships between these contributory factors and the transitions that connect them. Simultaneously, there has been a reorganization of health and social care services, caused in part by the universal adoption of economic rationalism, managerialism, and fiscal restraint (Hafford-Letchfield 2014). Not least, there has been a notable change in the retreat of government from its traditional role as a provider of institutional care, which has led to greater promotion of individualization while at the same time reducing eligibility for services (Scourfield 2010). These expectations and developments pose enormous challenges, tensions, and ambiguities for how the ageing trajectory and the multiple factors affecting it over the life course are understood. The increasingly older population is accompanied by a new discourse about "active and successful ageing" (Foster and Walker ...