Ageism consultation
Consultation has concluded
About this consultation
The Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors Forum (FPT Seniors Forum) has launched a consultation on ageism. We are looking to better understand and address the negative impacts of ageism towards older adults in Canada.
Share your thoughts and experience
We want to hear your views on ageism! To participate, complete the questionnaire in the first tab below.
If you or someone you know has been affected by ageism, please also share your story in the online forum (second tab below). If you prefer, you can email it to us privately at ESDC.NA.AGISME.CONSULTATIONS-CONSULTATIONS.AGEISM.NA.EDSC@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca.
The deadline to complete the questionnaire and submit a story is October 31, 2022.
Your perspectives, experiences and stories will help us kick-start an important conversation on ageism and the misconceptions about aging in Canada.
Understanding ageism
The World Health Organization defines ageism as:
- The stereotypes (how we think)
- Prejudice (how we feel)
- Discrimination (how we act) towards others or oneself based on age
Ageism exists in all aspects of society. People may experience ageism at the same time as other forms of discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, ability and ethnicity. Ageism is often overlooked. As a result, age related stigma and discrimination is often tolerated instead of addressed.
You can provide your feedback by completing our questionnaire below, which explores ageism in five theme areas:
- Employment
- Health and Health Care
- Social Inclusion
- Safety and Security
- Media and Social Media
As the COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on ageism towards older adults, we are also seeking your thoughts on how you think the pandemic may have impacted ageism.
For more information on this consultation, please read our Discussion Guide on Ageism in Canada. A summary is also available for a brief overview of the guide.
Together, we can work to reduce ageism and its effects on older Canadians and society in general.
Thank you.
On behalf of the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Working Group on Ageism
Share your story
We are interested in your personal experiences. The FPT Seniors Forum wants to better understand your thoughts and how we can address ageism in Canada.
When sharing your story, please consider the following questions:
- Have you or someone you know been affected by ageism? If so, what happened? Why did you consider this ageist?
- Was your experience of ageism affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? If so, how?
- What was done to address the ageism you experienced or witnessed? Was it helpful?
- Was the ageism that you experienced or witnessed something that happens everywhere, or do you think it was a unique situation?
- What could be done to address ageism? Please share with us any examples of initiatives, programs or supports that could help address ageism.
If you or someone you know is being abused and is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1 (in Canada) for emergency services in your area.
If you are outside the 9-1-1 service area, please access available emergency services in your area.
If you would like to access services and are not in immediate danger, please call 1-800-O-Canada or visit Programs and services for seniors - Canada.ca.
To protect the privacy of individuals, please tell your story anonymously and avoid naming specific people and organizations, or providing any type of information that would allow someone to be identified. Instead, please use more general terms such as “my family”, “my neighbour”, “my care provider”, “my employer”, “my organization”, “my city” or “my province”.
We wish to remind you that this is a public forum. Stories submitted online using the form below will be visible to other users. Registration is not mandatory; however, you will need to provide an email address and a screen name. Your email address will not be visible to others.
If you would rather share your story privately, you can submit it by email to ESDC.NA.AGISME.CONSULTATIONS-CONSULTATIONS.AGEISM.NA.EDSC@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca. Stories submitted by email will not be shared online but may be referenced in the summary report. No personal or identifying information will be included.
Selected parts of the stories may be used in other communication and reporting activities for this or other Forum activities. The views expressed are those of the contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of the FPT Seniors Forum.
The purpose of the collection of information is to help develop better, more informed and more effective policies, programs and services. Participation is voluntary. Your personal information is collected under the authority of the Financial Administration Act (FAA). Your personal information will be managed and administered in accordance with Department of Employment and Social Development Act (DESDA), the Privacy Act and other applicable laws. For more information, visit our consultation and engagement activities privacy notice statement.
