Teaspoons at Embolden2018

An interactive art project at the Festival invited participants to take a postcard with a teaspoon attached to it and write what they think we need to do to build respect for older Australians. The Teaspoons for Respect concept is part of the Tea Cosy project – Transforming the Experience of Ageing and building respect for older people. The teaspoon were arranged to reference a teaspoon rack – an iconic symbol of an older person’s home.
 
Fourty three people wrote their messages about respect for older people and the most common related to listening (13 responses). Other themes related to learning from older people, fostering intergenerational collaborations and showing kindness.

1. Not respect, but communicate and listen to everyone
2. Listen, listen, listen
3. Remind ourselves that we will be there ourselves one day: if we are so fortunate
4. Listen and learn
5. Devise a strategy to communicate with, involve practically and slowly educate that dynamic group aged 18-28 years!
6. Focus on strengths by working alongside them
7. Make older people feel valued and accepted
8. Communicate and respect – smile, see beyond outward appearances and accept the love of the person within
9. We begin to learn from our Elders and should continue to do so with the greatest respect
10. Be curious about older persons, listen to their stories
11. Listen to their needs
12. I (we) need to set an example. Make a special habit to respect Elders by listening, looking and offering assistance. In this networking event everyone can set an example to others
13. A spoon brings the idea … stir up the younger generations to respect what has gone before them
14. Value the wisdom and untapped creativity of Elders
15. Provide platforms for them to be heard and to teach
16. Learn from the wisdom of those who have gone before
17. Include older people” innovative, naughty, charming, learned, delightful, experimental
18. Creativity is not ageist
19. Honor and respect comes from an early age
20. Treat elderly as fully human, intelligent, capable, and independent to make choices, to solve problems
21. Listen to our Elders with respect
22. Value and support participation
23. Ask and listen
24. Each day in some way show respect for Elders is important by saying hello, smiling, nodding, including and dancing
25. Listen to stories – that’s how we learn
26. Media: create shows written by older people and directed by older people that show diversity of older people
27. Listen!! With curiosity and openness and interest. Listen for meaning beneath the words, for what’s not important, for what values present
28. I am still John
29. Challenge agism wherever we see or hear it. Lead by example
30. People from NESB background need people to communicate in their language
31. Take it back to the kids. Get into schools and discuss importance of respect and what we can learn from our Elders
32. Remember that they have far more lived experience that those younger than them
33. You only have to satisfy you. Live within yourself.
34. Slow down and enjoy
35. Multigenerational approach: take time to listen to old people. I believe a multigenerational approach is the secret to ending loneliness for all aged people – that means working to connect ages instead of separating them
36. Focus on the humanity of a person as a signpost – not the number rthey have to write down on a Government form
37. Remember no one was born old – their story is real and deserves to be told
38. Be friendly when you meet older people – that makes them comfortable!
39. Know when to be quite, to reflect and listen. Elder have made it thus far – they know what they are doing!
40. We need to truly, deeply listen to older people and hear what they are saying. Then we need to enable older people to fulfil their wishes or needs
41. Stop talking about seniors as an amorphous group. Differentiate stages of ageing eg: 60s-70s; 90s-centenarians and focus on what they can do and do contribute
42. Share, listen, and learn from their stories.
43. Before we can respect Elders – have to challenge ageism – it is pervasive and so caustic

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Rod White for the webpage header and to Julian Meehan for the photographs from Embolden.