Elder rights

Elder rights are the rights of older adults (usually those in the seventh decade of life or older, although this definition is disputed), who in various countries are not recognized as a constitutionally protected class, yet face discrimination across many aspects of society due to their age.

Common rights issues faced by elders include age-related job discrimination (such as forced age of retirement), lack of access to medical treatments, because of age or age-related obstacles, societal perceptions of ability/disability due to age, and vulnerability to abuse, including financial, physical, psychological, social, and sexual abuse, because of diminished capacity and lack of access to/ability to use technology.

One of the earliest efforts by the US federal government to protect financial rights of elders was the establishment of Social Security benefits via the Social Security Act in 1935, providing income to retired individuals who qualify.