Blog
The “End Times”: Challenging Ageism
Notes Helen in the podcast, “We have to educate people because… when you introduce that phrase [You look good for your age], people think it’s a compliment. I think many of us took it as a compliment until we realized, “What does my age look like? What does any age look like?”
A Quiet Discrimination
“Ageism—the bias or prejudice based on age—continues to be socially acceptable, going largely unnoticed,” says Helen Hirsh Spence. “It’s evident everywhere and every day. It’s visible at the checkout in the grocery store, in our healthcare system, and throughout the service industry. If you’re labeled a ‘senior’ you are considered frail, vulnerable and in decline.”
‘There’s still time to re-create myself’
Retirement at 65 is an antiquated notion, says Helen Hirsh Spence, founder of Top Sixty Over Sixty, which helps organizations understand the value of having a multi-generational workforce. “Older adults have what’s called crystallized intelligence. Young people have fluid intelligence,” said Spence. “You need both.”
A New Learning: Delivering a TEDx Talk
Preparation for a TED or TEDx talk often starts six or more months before the event. Before embarking on this journey, I had no idea what was involved…or what I was in for.
Embracing Age: Unlocking the Power of a Longevity Mindset
More a spontaneous conversation than an interview, Elizabeth Overstreet and her husband chat with Helen Hirsh Spence about embracing age. Helen explores ageing and guides us through the profound shift that occurs when we adopt a longevity mindset.
Federal budget 2024: Here’s what Ottawans want to see in it
Social entrepreneur and founder of Top Sixty Over Sixty, Helen Hirsh Spence, was one of the residents who was asked for her budget wish list. Helen hoped, “…the budget includes resources for age-diversity training to be included in all diversity strategies; incentives for employers to retain, hire and retrain older employees…”
Ontario MPP Lucille Collard hosts reception to celebrate women
International Women’s Day can feel like a bit of a whirlwind due to the many celebrations that take place. That’s why it was nice to have one last hurrah during the waning days of March at an International Women’s Month reception hosted by Liberal Ottawa-Vanier MPP Lucille Collard.
Scaling New Heights & Unlocking Ageless Potential
Helen notes, “A third of the population in Canada is almost 65 and older. In the United States, ten thousand people turn 65 daily. We need to change the way we think about ageing and begin to think of it as the positive force that it is”.
Social Entrepreneur Helen Hirsh Spence
Host Kelli Phillips interviews Helen Hirsh Spence about why she was motivated to become a social entrepreneur and why she created Top Sixty Over at the age of sixty-seven. Helen discusses internalized ageism, gendered ageism, and longevity literacy.
Ageism and Politics
Dr. Ranganath puts Biden’s forgetfulness in context by explaining that the average older person may experience “retrieval failure” but that doesn’t signal cognitive decline.
Cross Country Checkup Guest
Thanks to the buzz about Biden’s age, there have recently been numerous articles about the topic, and CBC decided to focus on it for Cross Country Checkup on February 18.
Valuing the expertise and ingenuity of older adults
Helen emphasizes the need for a longevity focus, encourages an entrepreneurial mindset, and cautions against internalized ageism which undermines the potential of older adults.