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Young Lady, You Dont Look a Day Over 65″: Elderspeak and Its Effects

Posted on October 08, 2008

Hearing people address elderly strangers in overly familiar terms such as dear or sweetie has always bothered me. When I m out with my grandmother and someone (generally an overzealous salesperson) goes the dear route with her, it always seems so patronizing and disrespectful. Whatever happened to a good old-fashioned Ma am ? As it turns out, new research on the subject of elderspeak justifies my discomfort: such informal terms of address can cause people to view aging more negatively, adversely affecting their health and longevity, including survival rates. Dr...

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