Reframing Aging Initiative

reframing 2019

Join us as we challenge the “conventional wisdom” on aging with the Reframing Aging Initiative — a long-term social change endeavor designed to improve the public’s understanding of what aging means and the many ways that older people contribute to our society.

Ultimately, this greater understanding will counter ageism and guide our nation’s approach to ensuring supportive policies and programs for us all as we move through the life course.

Read GSA's press release about the launch of the initiative and follow us on Twitter @ReframingAging.

Webinar: Reframing Aging in the Age of Covid-19: A Primer for Health Care Professionals

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

The archived webinar (Link to YouTube)
Webinar slides (PDF format)

As healthcare professionals working on the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic, you are confronted daily with communication choices. Research by the FrameWorks Institute on aging and ageism shows that words matter. This webinar presented by the Reframing Aging Initiative will cover four ideas to keep in mind when talking about older people and health equity in health care settings during the pandemic.

Presented by:

Patricia M. D'Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP, Vice President, Professional Affairs, GSA, and Project Director, Reframing Aging Initiative
Helen Fernandez, MD, Professor of Geriatrics, Palliative Medicine, and Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Moira O'Neil, PhD, Vice President for Research Interpretation, FrameWorks Institute

Webinar: "Reframing the Response to COVID-19: Applying Reframed Language to Counteract Ageism"

April 21, 2020

The archived webinar (Link to YouTube)
Webinar slides (PDF format)

Many of us are concerned by the ageism exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this webinar, the presenters offer ways that we can respond using empirically-supported narratives developed by the FrameWorks Institute for the Reframing Aging Initiative and other projects to frame the public discourse on social and scientific issues. Review the webinar and slides to learn strategies for connecting COVID-19 and aging without perpetuating ageist tropes.

Presented by:

Patricia M. D'Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP, Vice President, Professional Affairs, GSA, and Project Director, Reframing Aging Initiative
Moira O'Neil, PhD, Vice President for Research Interpretation, FrameWorks Institute

Why Reframe? Understanding the Significance and Tools of Reframing Aging and Reframing Elder Abuse

April 30, 2020

The archived webinar (Link to YouTube)
Webinar slides (PDF format)

The Reframing Aging Initiative is a long-term social endeavor designed to improve the public’s understanding of what aging means and the many ways that older people contribute to society. Its sister project, Reframing Elder Abuse, aims to demonstrate how we can put elder abuse on the public agenda, generate a sense of collective responsibility, and boost support for systemic solutions to address elder abuse. This webinar will build understanding of both projects, discuss where they overlap, and build awareness about the impact of ageism on society.

Presented by:

Patricia M. D'Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP, Vice President, Professional Affairs, GSA, and Project Director, Reframing Aging Initiative
Laurie Gibson Lindberg, Project Manager, Reframing Aging Initiative, GSA
Aly Neumann,Project Coordinator, Reframing Elder Abuse, NCEA

Key Concepts: Why We Need This Work

While changing cultural perceptions is not easy, the alternative is to acquiesce to an unacceptable status quo that undermines our ability to build support for aging-friendly policies, necessary research investments, and the future of our every-generation-nation. Let’s change the 'conventional wisdom' on aging together.

—James C. Appleby, GSA CEO

Widespread misunderstanding about the aging process and lack of information about how older people contribute to society have led to pervasive ageism. Research by the FrameWorks Institute found that the public believes aging is synonymous with decline and dependency, and that the aging process is a battle to be fought.

Those of us in the field of aging know that “age is just a number” and that, with systems in place to support wellbeing in later life, our society can benefit from the longevity dividend offered by our aging population.

For a quick, two-minute overview of the key concepts behind the initiative, start with this interview of Julie Sweetland of FrameWorks Institute recorded at the IAGG World Congress hosted by GSA in 2017.

Read further to find out how you can change the conversation, be more persuasive, answer ageism, and influence public understanding to create a more just, inclusive, and age-friendly society.

Change the Conversation

Reframing aging relies on tested strategies and evidence-informed tools that have been found to reduce implicit bias against older people.

Gaining Momentum:Learn how to reframe conversations about aging with this toolkit.

Individuals: Learn more with the communications toolkit Gaining Momentum and the video series Reframing Aging and Ageism. Contact us with questions about resources, trainings, and technical assistance at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Aging Organizations: To learn about opportunities for workshops and presentations to your staff, board of directors, or conference attendees, please contact Project Manager Laurie G. Lindberg at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Funders: If you are a funder of aging programs and would like to become involved in this ground-breaking initiative, please write to Project Director Trish D’Antonio at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. There are opportunities for local, regional, and national activities and programs.

Who We Are

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) partnered with seven national aging organizations to form the Leaders of Aging Organizations (LAO) to address the entrenched ageism in American society. With support from nine funders, the LAO collaborated with the social science research firm FrameWorks Institute to examine exactly what the American public thinks of aging. Research found that the public’s perception of aging is decidedly negative and antithetical to how most older people feel and what experts in the field know to be true.

Now that the research has been conducted and the communication strategies, resources, and tools have been developed and tested, the next phase of the work is underway. With the generous support of four national funders, GSA, on behalf of the LAO, has launched the next phase of the Reframing Aging Initiative. The four aims of this phase of the project are:

Build an infrastructure to enable broad dissemination of the reframing aging concepts to the field of aging
Engage the aging research, education, and practice communities to learn about and start using the reframed communication strategies
Provide technical support for organizations who complete workshops and trainings
Support state and local efforts to reframe aging locally

What We Can Do for You

FrameChecks: reframing experts review your communication materials and suggest ways for improving your messages with reframed language and evidence-informed narratives.
Workshops and presentations: Master Trainers provide engaging and interactive sessions on the reframing aging concepts, narratives, and tools for your organizations and conferences.
Technical assistance: trained reframers help you fine-tune your messages as a follow-up to workshops and presentations.

Contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to learn more.

Funders and Organizations

The Reframing Aging Initiative is currently funded by Archstone Foundation, The John A. Hartford Foundation, RRF Foundation for Aging, and The SCAN Foundation with additional support from New Hampshire Endowment for Health, NextFifty Initiative, Rose Community Foundation, San Antonio Area Foundation, and Tufts Health Plan Foundation.
Founding members of the LAO are AARP, American Federation for Aging Research, American Geriatrics Society, American Society on Aging, The Gerontological Society of America, Grantmakers in Aging, National Council on Aging, and the National Hispanic Council on Aging.
The LAO’s previous work was funded by AARP, Archstone Foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies, Endowment for Health, Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, The John A. Hartford Foundation, The Retirement Research Foundation, Rose Community Foundation, and The SCAN Foundation.
The Reframing Aging Initiative staff are James Appleby, Patricia M. D’Antonio, and Laurie G. Lindberg.

Research

Gauging Aging: Mapping the Gaps Between Expert and Public Understandings of Aging in America (2015):
This report compares the public’s perception of aging with that of aging experts and discusses how this disconnect presents problems for building broad support for policies and programs that promote the well-being of older adults.
Aging, Agency, and Attribution of Responsibility: Shifting Public Discourse about Older Adults (2015):
This analysis identifies six narratives that currently dominate the conversation in the media and in advocacy organizations and points to promising opportunities for reframing public discourse.
The Pernicious Problem of Ageism (2015): This special issue of Generations, the journal of the American Society on Aging, explores the pressing issue of ageism in America and the importance of using reframing to address ageism.
Frame Brief: Framing Strategies to Advance Aging and Address Ageism as Policy Issues (2017):
This summary offers a brief, lively guide to an evidence-based approach to reframing aging.
Finding the Frame: An Empirical Approach to Reframing Aging and Ageism (2017):
This report explains the process and research behind the development of the evidence-based reframing aging narratives shown to improve attitudes toward aging and to boost understanding of the structural and systemic changes needed to capture the longevity dividend.
Reframing Aging: Effect of a Short-Term Framing Intervention on Implicit Measures of Age Bias (2019): This article appearing in The Journals of Gerontology: Series B describes the effect of a reframing aging intervention on implicit age bias.
Interventions to Reduce Ageism against Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (American Journal of Public Health, Aug 2019, Vol. 109, No.8) This meta-analysis finds that interventions are associated with substantial reduction in ageism; the authors recommend that intergenerational interventions should be part of an international strategy to improve perceptions of older people and the aging process.

Resources

Toolkit: The Reframing Aging Initiative relies on tested strategies and evidence-informed tools that have been found to reduce implicit bias against older people. These resources are available in a toolkit called Gaining Momentum.

Quick Start Guide: This handy tip sheet reflects the major themes of the Reframing Aging Initiative narratives.

Video Series: For a more in-depth examination of the research behind the Reframing Aging Initiative and a tutorial on how to use the tools, you may want to access the FrameWorks Academy video series on Reframing Aging and Ageism. This resource is free, but you must create an account and a login: Reframing Aging and Ageism