047 Chapter 5 Impact of the age awareness workshop 5.1 Participant reflections post-workshop (a) Perceptions of ageing and older adults Following the workshops, participants were invited to attend an online discussion session. Those who took part reflected on the perceptions of older adults and ageing they held prior to the age awareness workshop. Some participants spoke about having respect for older adults’ experience and history, while others described being influenced by negative stereotypes of frailty and decline, as well as positive stereotypes of older people as warm and endearing. Older people’s stories, experiences, their history … it’s something that is not shared enough or celebrated enough. Older people are a big untapped source of knowledge. —Participant, age 52–60 Recalling an activity that was done at the start of the workshop, which involved writing down five words that came to mind when they heard the term ‘old person’, participants reflected: I think initially my words were deficit-based, you know, frail, less energy, mobility issues. —Participant, age 40–51 I realised that all of my words were kind of endearing things like, ‘cups of tea’ and ‘chats’, and not really focused on competence and ability of people, but more like how lovely they are, which is such a stereotype as well. —Participant, age 40–51 (b) Factors influencing perceptions of ageing and older adults The existing research suggests perceptions regarding ageing and older adults are formed and shaped by a complex interplay of personal and social factors such as education, training, work environments, prior relationships with older adults and media representations of ageing and older age.87 Consistent with the literature, participants of this research also shared various life experiences which had contributed to shaping their perceptions of ageing and older adults. Growing up, I had really good relationships with my grandparents and some older neighbours, and watching the way my parents interacted with them and how they treated older people … My relationships really influenced [my attitudes towards older people], and then possibly working with colleagues who really promoted those positive beliefs about ageing and working in teams that have promoted positive beliefs have really influenced me. —Participant, mixed age group The older people in my family had very chronic medical conditions … That did sort of make me concerned that that’s what I would be like when I got older or that’s what a lot of older people would be like [because] all I had exposure to were people in their 70s and 80s, who were really frail and unwell. Through my studies, I sort of realised that keeping active physically and mentally into older age is really important to maintain independence and can really promote health and reduce the risk of other medical conditions. —Participant, age 23