Latest news with #Herman
Scoop
a day ago
- Health
- Scoop
Is Ageism The Last Socially Acceptable Prejudice?
Press Release – University of Auckland A study in the United States revealed people with positive attitudes to ageing live on average 7.5 years longer than people with a negative attitude. 'We all need to battle internalised ageism,' says Nusch Herman, from the University of Auckland's Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research. A study in the United States revealed people with positive attitudes to ageing live on average 7.5 years longer than people with a negative attitude. 'The research also found that people with a positive attitude to ageing recover more quickly from illness,' says Herman. Examining our attitudes to ageing and weeding out ageist assumptions improves the culture surrounding older people, supporting their wellbeing and eventually our own, she says. 'The American writer and activist, Ashton Applewhite, says 'ageism is prejudice against our future selves'. 'We all age, so it's worth challenging our negative assumptions about that process,' Herman says. She is organising a panel discussion on ageism at the Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research at the University's Newmarket Campus on 25 June. Centre co-director Dr Joanna Hikaka will chair the panel, featuring psychiatrist and author Dr Chris Perkins, AUT Associate Professor and co-director of the Centre for Ageing Well Rich Wright, Kylie Te Arihi and Trent Brown from the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner, and age-friendly advocate Dr Judy Blakey. Ageism involves having negative thoughts, feelings or behaviours towards people based on their age, says Herman. 'It can affect people at any age – it's not just older people. 'It's when people are categorised and divided, based on their age, in ways that cause disadvantage and injustice.' Young people can face similar discrimination to older people, such as being devalued on the basis of their age and potentially finding it more difficult to participate in paid work, she says. Ageist stereotypes of older people are common in advertising and the media, where they are often portrayed as senile, incompetent, nosy, sad and lonely, or complaining and ill-tempered Searching synonyms for ageing quickly uncovers negative associations with being senile, long in the tooth, past it, decrepit, over the hill, and doddery, says Herman. 'Ageism depicts older people as a problem for society, and it's often seen as the last 'socially acceptable' form of discrimination. 'It's important to counter ageist stereotypes, because they're not based in reality.' On average, life expectancy has almost doubled over the past 100 years, which is one of humankind's greatest achievements and should be celebrated instead of feared, she says. 'We need to be really cautious about seeing ageing as failing. 'If you're physically showing signs of ageing, that's natural, yet corporations are making a lot of money from pills, potions and plastic surgery.' Let's Talk About Ageism is a free panel discussion on 25 June from 10am to 12pm at the Ray Meyer Building, 314-390 Khyber Pass Road, Newmarket, Auckland. All welcome – register here.
Scoop
a day ago
- Health
- Scoop
Is Ageism The Last Socially Acceptable Prejudice?
Press Release – University of Auckland 'We all need to battle internalised ageism,' says Nusch Herman, from the University of Auckland's Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research. A study in the United States revealed people with positive attitudes to ageing live on average 7.5 years longer than people with a negative attitude. 'The research also found that people with a positive attitude to ageing recover more quickly from illness,' says Herman. Examining our attitudes to ageing and weeding out ageist assumptions improves the culture surrounding older people, supporting their wellbeing and eventually our own, she says. 'The American writer and activist, Ashton Applewhite, says 'ageism is prejudice against our future selves'. 'We all age, so it's worth challenging our negative assumptions about that process,' Herman says. She is organising a panel discussion on ageism at the Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research at the University's Newmarket Campus on 25 June. Centre co-director Dr Joanna Hikaka will chair the panel, featuring psychiatrist and author Dr Chris Perkins, AUT Associate Professor and co-director of the Centre for Ageing Well Rich Wright, Kylie Te Arihi and Trent Brown from the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner, and age-friendly advocate Dr Judy Blakey. Ageism involves having negative thoughts, feelings or behaviours towards people based on their age, says Herman. 'It can affect people at any age – it's not just older people. 'It's when people are categorised and divided, based on their age, in ways that cause disadvantage and injustice.' Young people can face similar discrimination to older people, such as being devalued on the basis of their age and potentially finding it more difficult to participate in paid work, she says. Ageist stereotypes of older people are common in advertising and the media, where they are often portrayed as senile, incompetent, nosy, sad and lonely, or complaining and ill-tempered Searching synonyms for ageing quickly uncovers negative associations with being senile, long in the tooth, past it, decrepit, over the hill, and doddery, says Herman. 'Ageism depicts older people as a problem for society, and it's often seen as the last 'socially acceptable' form of discrimination. 'It's important to counter ageist stereotypes, because they're not based in reality.' On average, life expectancy has almost doubled over the past 100 years, which is one of humankind's greatest achievements and should be celebrated instead of feared, she says. 'We need to be really cautious about seeing ageing as failing. 'If you're physically showing signs of ageing, that's natural, yet corporations are making a lot of money from pills, potions and plastic surgery.' Let's Talk About Ageism is a free panel discussion on 25 June from 10am to 12pm at the Ray Meyer Building, 314-390 Khyber Pass Road, Newmarket, Auckland.
Scoop
a day ago
- Health
- Scoop
Is Ageism The Last Socially Acceptable Prejudice?
'We all need to battle internalised ageism,' says Nusch Herman, from the University of Auckland's Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research. A study in the United States revealed people with positive attitudes to ageing live on average 7.5 years longer than people with a negative attitude. 'The research also found that people with a positive attitude to ageing recover more quickly from illness,' says Herman. Examining our attitudes to ageing and weeding out ageist assumptions improves the culture surrounding older people, supporting their wellbeing and eventually our own, she says. 'The American writer and activist, Ashton Applewhite, says 'ageism is prejudice against our future selves'. 'We all age, so it's worth challenging our negative assumptions about that process,' Herman says. She is organising a panel discussion on ageism at the Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research at the University's Newmarket Campus on 25 June. Centre co-director Dr Joanna Hikaka will chair the panel, featuring psychiatrist and author Dr Chris Perkins, AUT Associate Professor and co-director of the Centre for Ageing Well Rich Wright, Kylie Te Arihi and Trent Brown from the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner, and age-friendly advocate Dr Judy Blakey. Ageism involves having negative thoughts, feelings or behaviours towards people based on their age, says Herman. 'It can affect people at any age – it's not just older people. 'It's when people are categorised and divided, based on their age, in ways that cause disadvantage and injustice.' Young people can face similar discrimination to older people, such as being devalued on the basis of their age and potentially finding it more difficult to participate in paid work, she says. Ageist stereotypes of older people are common in advertising and the media, where they are often portrayed as senile, incompetent, nosy, sad and lonely, or complaining and ill-tempered Searching synonyms for ageing quickly uncovers negative associations with being senile, long in the tooth, past it, decrepit, over the hill, and doddery, says Herman. 'Ageism depicts older people as a problem for society, and it's often seen as the last 'socially acceptable' form of discrimination. 'It's important to counter ageist stereotypes, because they're not based in reality.' On average, life expectancy has almost doubled over the past 100 years, which is one of humankind's greatest achievements and should be celebrated instead of feared, she says. 'We need to be really cautious about seeing ageing as failing. 'If you're physically showing signs of ageing, that's natural, yet corporations are making a lot of money from pills, potions and plastic surgery.' Let's Talk About Ageism is a free panel discussion on 25 June from 10am to 12pm at the Ray Meyer Building, 314-390 Khyber Pass Road, Newmarket, Auckland.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Retirement expert: What I learned after becoming my mother's financial caretaker
Listen and subscribe to Decoding Retirement on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Many don't factor in taking care of aging parents when making long-term financial plans — and this could be preventing seniors from getting the care they need. On Yahoo Finance's Decoding Retirement, Bank of America's head of retirement, Chris Herman, shared a personal anecdote about how his own mother's divorce and eventual need for a caregiver forced him and his siblings to have some serious talks about money. 'When my parents divorced, my mom was not in a good position financially,' Herman said (see video above or listen below). 'She was very concerned about her ability to continue her lifestyle, let alone retire, at some point in the future. And I took it as my role for her to be [her] financial caregiver.' This embedded content is not available in your region. Herman admitted he wasn't aware of his parents' financial situation before their divorce, which meant that they had to sit down and take stock of all of his mother's assets to get an idea of where she was starting. 'Maybe just in finding the place where you are, you'll find some comfort,' he recalled telling her before they made a financial plan. Herman said he worked with his mother as her financial caretaker 'over the span of 25 years,' constantly checking in with her on her financial situation. This included factoring in what kind of care she would get if she were no longer able to live on her own. 'Ultimately, when my mom was not able to live by herself anymore, she moved in with my oldest sister,' he shared, noting that it was a decision made with his sister. 'It was my mom's choice. That's where she wanted to be." But while their years of financial planning had made that move possible, they didn't consider what would happen if Herman's older sister could no longer take care of their mother. 'Eventually, my sister's ability to care for my mother deteriorated as well,' Herman said. 'As she got older, ... for my mom's safety, for my sister's safety, we needed to put her into an assisted living facility.' Herman admitted that was one place they could've done a better job planning. Though assisted living or additional care was not their ideal situation, he noted that planning for that possibility would've helped everyone in the long run. 'Having that conversation with the person you expect is potentially going to need long-term care — it's a difficult conversation to have,' Herman said. 'Oftentimes, the elder person will not want to engage in that. They'll be adamant in terms of, 'I'm not going to be a burden on you, and I'm never going to live in assisted living.'' 'But just know in the back of your mind that one of those two is likely to come to pass if they live [long] enough,' he added. Even if your loved one resists the conversation, he reiterated that asking them which potential option they would prefer is still a necessary topic of discussion. It's also important for the child to know where they stand and what they're willing and able to do to care for their loved one as they age. 'It's OK to say, 'I would not be in the position to care for you myself personally,'' he said. 'Then what can you do? Are there other options available to you? Having that conversation and then laying out some options … Don't wait until you're in the moment to have those conversations.' For those who don't feel confident taking the reins fully, Herman recommended looking into a trusted individual to work with as you plan, whether that be a well-informed friend or a professional. 'There are burdens well beyond financial that are associated with caregiving that buying insurance doesn't necessarily cover,' he said. Each Tuesday, retirement expert and financial educator Robert Powell gives you the tools to plan for your future on Decoding Retirement. You can find more episodes on our video hub or watch on your preferred streaming service. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ex-Chicago police officer to plead guilty in husband's shooting death
The Brief A former Chicago police officer is expected to plead guilty to fatally shooting her husband, a fellow officer, in 2021. Jacqueline Villaseñor allegedly was threatening to shoot herself when her husband, German, tried to wrestle away the gun. It went off, fatally striking Herman in the chest. Family members say it was an accident. CHICAGO - A former Chicago police officer is expected to enter a guilty plea on Tuesday after being charged with murdering her husband, who was also a police officer, more than three years ago. The backstory On Nov. 21, 2021, Jacqueline Villaseñor was arguing with her husband, German Villaseñor, in their Northwest Side home. She allegedly took out a gun and threatened to shoot herself, which led to a struggle when her husband tried to wrestle the gun away. The gun went off, and Herman was shot in the chest. He died at age 44. Responding officers believe Jacqueline had been drinking. They found her performing CPR on her husband. The couple's son called 911. Family members believe Jacqueline has been given preferential treatment because she is a police officer. What they're saying At a previous court hearing, Jacqueline's daughter defended her mother. "It was a terrible accident, and it was not on purpose," she said. "My family loves each other and …it was an accident." A judge has already approved the plea deal, but the details have not yet been disclosed. Supporters of Herman were expected to appear in court on Tuesday, they say, to represent his parents, who could not make the trip from Mexico. In a statement, Leticia Villaseñor, German's mother, said: "My son dedicated his life to serving & protecting victims. Who is protecting my son? I will never see his beautiful smile again, whose voice I will never hear again. Jaqueline is evil & knew exactly what she was doing when she shot my son right in his heart. Man's laws may fail my son today but she will never escape God's Justice."
