The Echidna: Age shall not weary them as much as attitude

Martha Stewart climbs into a one-piece bathing costume at the age of 81 and makes her debut as a swimwear model on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Joe Biden tells Americans he wants to be their president until he's 86.

Rupert Murdoch, 92, calls off his latest engagement to a woman 26 years his junior because what's the point of quickly rushing into things?

Martha, Joe and Rupert. Names so old-fashioned and redolent of another era they could be characters in a 19th century novel. Despite their ages and very human flaws - Martha has served prison time while Joe and Rupert continue scheming to control the world - this trio is supposedly at the vanguard of a revolution upending our long-sacred youth culture.

Turn up your hearing aid if you haven't heard the cliches. Old is suddenly new. Grey is the new black. Liver spots and saggy skins are the latest must-have accessories.

Yeah, sure.

Martha, Joe and Rupert might be defying the traditional concept of growing old. But a horrifying incident at a nursing home last week and a slew of recent studies indicate not much has changed when it comes to our distaste for that ultimate human curse, ageing, or our contempt for those afflicted by it.

Almost half of older patients recently surveyed by the Benevolent Society reported suffering age discrimination from GPs, specialists and medical staff at public hospitals. Complaints ranged from doctors telling elderly women they were too old to have sex and therefore did not require testing for cervical cancer, to a 96-year-old injured woman made to wear nappies because nurses declined to walk her to the toilet.

Other studies report similar findings. Easy to believe, too. Not long ago I sat fuming in the office of a specialist, doing my best not to strangle the pompous blowhard with his bowtie as he lectured my 82-year-old father in a condescending tone about how there wasn't much he could do for someone his age.

But surely the sorriest and most recent incident in our long-running ill-treatment of the aged occurred when 95-year-old dementia sufferer Clare Nowland died this week after being Tasered by police at a Cooma nursing home.

Police claimed the 43kg Ms Nowland, who used a walking frame, was "armed" with a steak knife. An officer discharged his weapon as she approached him "at a slow pace". That officer has been charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm and common assault while Ms Nowland, who suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain, died after being admitted to hospital for end-of-life care.

Consider the aftermath of Clare Nowland's shooting. Regardless of the finer details - police refused to release body cam footage of the incident - revulsion and anger should have been the mildest public reaction. In many places the police shooting of a frail, mentally ill 95-year-old woman would be a national scandal prompting street protests and promises of full-blown inquiries.

But here? You can already sense a collective shrug as the story slips from the public's consciousness. As always, we're brilliant when it comes to looking away.

The shocking end to Clare Nowland's life, coming not long after the recent royal commission into the atrocities of our ailing aged care system, should be the last straw for a culture that too often demonises the old. And that's not the only problem with our treatment of the aged. Even when we're nice to them, we infantilise them.

"One of the worst things we do to older people, especially frail older people ... is treat them as infants," said federal Health Minister Mark Butler during a recent speech in Adelaide. "It's something I've witnessed all too often in my visits to aged care facilities ... people talking to older people in childlike, singsong voices."

Don't believe any of the gibberish doing the rounds that we've started to embrace the old. Martha, Joe and Rupert are mere curiosities in an era where reversing the ageing process has become an obsession among that wealthy gang of tech billionaires.

PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel is a generous investor in the Methuselah Foundation, a non-profit medical charity aiming to make "90 the new 50" by 2030. Google's Sergey Brin and Larry Page have invested $750 million in Calico - a company planning to end "ageing-related diseases". Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos plough millions into biotech "reverse ageing" businesses.

But before seeking immortality, let's start by making a far cheaper investment in the lives of those who won't get to live forever. Respect, after all, doesn't cost a thing.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Have you or someone close to you suffered ageism in our health system? What strategies do you employ to try and slow the ageing process? Does the idea of living forever appeal or dismay you? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

- Anthony Albanese has slammed Peter Dutton over his "desperate" views over the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament, saying his words were "simply unworthy of the alternative prime minister of this nation". The Prime Minister has also rejected any further change to the Voice wording during debate on the referendum-establishing constitutional alteration bill, insisting there is no form of words that will satisfy those on the 'no' side.

- The family of Clare Nowland have paid tribute to the 95-year-old woman who died on Wednesday night, a week after she was Tasered in her nursing home in Cooma. "With great sadness, the Nowland family share that our beloved Clare passed away - whilst surrounded by the love and support of her family. Our beautiful mum, nana and great-grandmother," the statement issued through local media said.

- Australian Federal Police are investigating the improper use of information by the former PwC international tax head following a crime report by Treasury. The confirmation came as the government raised concerns about legal constraints handicapping it from getting out of PwC contracts, after a now-former partner was caught sharing confidential tax policy information to drum up business.

THEY SAID IT: "Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you've got to start young." - Theodore Roosevelt

YOU SAID IT: Narendra Modi's rockstar reception, with our PM as MC.

Peter says: "What bothered me significantly (amongst other issues) about the Albanese for Modi performance was the formal name tagging of an Australian city suburb as 'Little India' that sets a precedent for a raft of other places to be similarly branded. The problem, as I see it, is that successive governments keep espousing multicultural Australia, whereas in fact, it is a multi-national Australia. We have become a collection of nations within a nation, simply because people that come to 'settle' here are too entrenched in their past and are unwilling to embrace and participate in what Australia is all about."

"I don't believe anybody, let alone our Prime Minister, should entertain someone like Modi in such an extravagant way. What a debacle," says Rosemary the elder.

Judy says: "I agree that it is a really bad look for Albanese to be cosying up to Modi. The links between Modi and Adani are pretty interesting to think about too."

"It was sickening to see Albanese MCing the deplorable Modi," says John. "Another example of the once fiery left winger succumbing to populism and swinging right. He wants those moderate Liberal voters Dutton has terrified."

Angela says: "I like Albo but this was inappropriate, verging on demeaning, especially given Modi's philosophy and policies. Yes, raise his inhuman policies in private as often as China's are raised."

"This photo opportunity with dangerous bigot Modi should definitely have been avoided," says Alistair. "Albo should be making it clear we do not approve of much he has been doing, particularly Muslim bashing and tacit approval of ghastly Putin. Bad call, Prime Minister."

Monica says: "Having worked in a firm for many years where professional courtesy was tantamount, I learned very quickly to respect the position if not the person. I am retired now but I am still very aware of the need for our prime minister to show respect for visiting heads of state, no matter their private opinion of the person. It is called diplomacy."