Aging Stereotypes

A stereotype, as defined by dictionary.com is "a generalization usually exaggerated or oversimplified and often offensive, that is used to define or distinguish a group." Stereotypes exist for all types of people; from the overweight population to people of particular races. Stereotypes can be positive, but are more commonly remembered as having negative connotations.
I was walking through Wal-Mart recently in search of a bottle of club soda. While on my endeavor I'm stumbled upon a man who was also in search of a type of 'soda', he was in fact looking for baking soda. He appeared to be at least 70 and so I was eager to assist him with his search. After walking from aisle to aisle, we had no luck. The man looked at me, defeated, and said, "I heard that soda and vinegar is a great for unclogging your pipes." Without thinking, I asked, "Are you having problems going?" The man and I stared at each other for a while and after a few awkward moments of silence we both started laughing. Luckily, the man had a sense of humor. Afterwards, I realized he was talking about the plumbing in his house. I was relieved at the man's sense of humor, as well as his reaction. Although it may seem innocent, this is a perfect example of a common stereotype about the elderly.
The elderly population is viewed as an extremely fragile and vulnerable group. While this may be true in certain instances, the elderly are very much an independent population. In fact, many communities now exist that cater to the needs of the elderly. Although these communities do exist to promote positivity in regards to the elderly, so do their resistant counterparts... stereotypes. Common stereotypes include: being grumpy, frumpy and stingy. Some people completely disregard the elderly as a group. Others baby them as if they are completely helpless. But, many elderly people are just the opposite. Being self reliant is important to many members of the elderly population. Because the life expectancy is rapidly growing in this country, people are making changes to their lives now, in hopes of living to their full "term". The elderly population is often disregarded in society, but things are starting to change. The AOA, better known as the Administration on Aging, is putting forth a huge effort in order to educate the rest of our society on the elderly population, and to promote understanding for both parties across the board.
In my experience I upheld the stereotype that the elderly population may not be as healthy as the youthful ones. However, the man in Wal-Mart was not constipated at all. In fact he was disproving the stereotype of helplessness by fixing the plumbing in his own house. It just goes to show, stereotypes are generalizations, and can be very misleading.