The Framing Longevity Project seeks to enhance Elder visibility by disrupting language, myths and meanings in view-shafts that homogenise later life.

The Framing Longevity Project includes a framework of actions that will contribute to an improved local level ecosystem for longevity wellbeing.

The project is a pandemic response, resilience, recovery social innovation initiative, that positions ageism in the COVID-19 context of age precarity.

The purpose aligns with the global UN and WHO programmes for the Decade for Healthy Ageing, Combatting Ageism and Sustainability Goals.

The project supports the New Zealand Better Later Life, He Oranga Kaumatua 2019-2034 Strategy.

Recognising the importance of reducing age prejudice the project seeks to create a new paradigm of perceptions about life and death in this era of longevity.

The collaborative commitment of organisations in the Bay of Plenty will make a difference. There is a growing awareness of the need to address the complex world challenges. This requires a momentum that grows the number of people who can think and act systematically to implement radical change.

We are growing a community of change agents to accelerate a sustainable future.

Lucy asks:

What words did you change this week?

What data did you make inclusive?

What did you notice about age in the media?

What ageism did you notice in yourself?

What aspects of ageism did you discuss with friends, family or team at work?

Framing creates new windows for reflecting and acting on ageism as a form of conscious and unconscious bias. Constructions of reality - frames, is according to Estes, all about power relations. Framing is action, (framing itself) framing is ideology, and as Lacoff notes, “reframing is social change.” ( Lacoff 2004/ 2019)

This project includes a framework of actions that will contribute to an improved local level ecosystem for longevity wellbeing.

Given rapid population-ageing, longevity is a key driver of efforts to overcome ageism, strengthen communities and pandemic resilience. Strategies are needed to improve equity, accessibility, social cohesion and economic stability. The new words ‘in town’ are longennial, innovation, digitalisation, inclusion and vaccination.

Collaboration creates impact.

The Framing Longevity Project recognises that collaborative effort is key to achieving the transformative structural change needed for a smart age-friendly community ecosystem that enhances longevity wellbeing and sustainability.

What will we do?

The initial phase one of the framework includes two agreed actions:

1- Data profiling:

Demographic data profiles and imagery will become inclusive showing age cohorts to 100+

2- Narrative and Imagery change:

The use of appropriate inclusive language and images will enable a cultural shift, policy change and sustainability.

A terminology guide will be developed. There is potential to create a local shared image bank.

WE will reframe ‘ageing’

WE will change how we profile people

WE will stop homogenizing our Elders

WE will disrupt narratives and imagery

WE will create a new window of visibility in policy and place

Equating old age with illness and inevitible biomedical decline has encouraged society and Elders themselves to think about ageing as pathological or abnormal. Carroll Estes. 2019.

Who We Are

The Project is a collaboration between key Bay of Plenty agencies in Aotearoa New Zealand that influence the policy environment on behalf of local communities. The participation of major Bay of Plenty regional Local Government, Health Services and organisations will provide valued leadership creating new inclusive profiles in policy frameworks.

To date project collaboration includes:

Bay of Plenty District Health Board, Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation, Toi te Ora, Nga Maatapuna Oranga, AveNui Pacifica, Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Accessible Properties.

This evidence-based project is an outcome from research with Elders after an extreme eight weeks social isolation COVID-19 2020 New Zealand lockdown. The study was conducted by Carole Gordon MNZM, a social and political gerontologist in Tauranga City. The report SAFE? The Impact of COVID-19 on Elders, 2020, indicated trauma. Elders experienced fear and anxiety with reduced social connectivity and digital marginalisation. Some in care suffered life threatening conditions. Some Elders found the resilience they needed.

The stories of courage and social sacrifice profoundly influence all who read them. The report called for a systems response to ensure that the interests and wellbeing of Elders is taken into account in the framing and implementing future policy. Further that New Zealand needs a ‘cultural shift’ in the “age” and “ageing” narrative, a need to step up to recognise and deal with ageism.