In normal ageing, when memory and learning ability are measured over a twenty year period, very little decline is found. Any slight decline in memory function which may occur is gradual, and is compensated for naturally, without interfering with enjoyment of life. Forgetting where you put the keys, or forgetting someone's name, is common, and is NOT the beginning of senility or dementia. Many people believe it is inevitable that older people will end their days in a nursing home or hostel. This fear is increased by negative images of ageing, which emphasise dependence and loss of autonomy, and a tendency to believe that all older people are the same.
Older people are the least likely group in the community to suffer attack or assault.
There is a tendency for the media to magnify anything that happens to an older person with graphic headlines and large photos, which increases older people's fears. They rarely balance their reporting with information about the low incidence of assault or robbery of older people. On the other hand, young men between the ages of 18 and 30 years are the most likely to suffer assault, but they receive very little attention in the media. Copyright 1997 Council on the Ageing. All rights reserved.