Age awareness

margaretclare

I completely agree with Tartanmax above.

We have just been listening to BBC Radio 4 'Desert Island Discs', and the guest was an actress called June Spencer. And she is 90!! You wouldn't believe it, to hear her speak. She's still busy acting - is the sole remaining original character in the radio soap 'The Archers', has been in it for 60 years! And she spoke so lucidly and with such good humour, although she has had a lot of tragedy in her life - her husband of many years developed Alzheimer's, many other things. Listening to her, I could not believe that in most people's view she would be categorised as 'elderly'.

People at younger ages who are 'old' in attitude - well, that happened to June Spencer's mother. In her 40s she, as Mrs Spencer put it, 'decided to be ill' and took to her bed, from where she demanded constant attention, couldn't stand any noise, couldn't stand her daughter's piano practice etc. Although eventually, much later, she was in a home from where she took on a new lease of life, and after being unable to walk except when supported on both sides, she used to go for walks from this home!!!

I want to learn to swim properly this year, preferably before I reach 75 in August. I was around 70 when I decided it was time I stopped being innumerate, went to adult education basic numeracy and then took GCSE Maths at 72. Not brilliant, 'D' grade, but a lot better than anything my past teachers had ever predicted.

Going to the pool this afternoon - last Friday there were only 3 others and that's what I need to practice. One woman there - it's an over-50s session - was doing lengths in front crawl, and she told me that 2 years ago she couldn't do that, she used to do breast-stroke with her head out of the water but it hurt her neck. She was taught to swim properly by the instructors there: https://www.swimmingtales.co.uk

Errata

Clearly the word 'elderly' doesn't sit well with many people.
What descriptor do people think would be an accurate and easily understood by the majority of people for those who are not children, teeenagers, thirty somethings, or middle aged ?

margaretclare

The problem with the word 'elderly' is the stereotypes and all the negative connotations which are attached to it.

As in 'elderly driver crashes his car into a wall', as reported in a local newspaper. This gives rise to a flurry of comments and letters printed: 'silly old fool, shouldn't be driving, get them off the roads' and anecdotal comments about 'driving too slow, can't get past them' and the like. This flies in the face of the insurance companies' findings that older drivers are statistically less likely to have accidents! Similarly, 'elderly woman found shoplifting' - 'silly old thing, shouldn't be let out alone, didn't know what she was doing'. And so on. The word 'elderly' therefore is associated with the idea that we are not capable of running our own lives, shouldn't drive, shouldn't be out unsupervised etc.

It's not really helped by the number of threads we see on here either from, or about, people in their 60s whose only concern seems to be what happens to their assets when - not if - they go into a home!

Going into a home does not seem to be something that June Spencer aged 90, to whom I referred above, gives a thought to. Again, this is a stereotype and what is imagined to be the inevitable end of all of us.

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

Errata wrote: »

Clearly the word 'elderly' doesn't sit well with many people.
What descriptor do people think would be an accurate and easily understood by the majority of people for those who are not children, teeenagers, thirty somethings, or middle aged ?

At 55 you can call me elderly,"getting on" or anything you care to.
Just don't expect me to fit in with what is expected of that age group now or if I'm spared in 40 years time.:D
I love life too much to stop living.

lilac_lady

Newspapers always describe over 60s as "elderly" and/or "pensioners", even if the person in question is still working. Not the most flattering description as it means "over the hill" to many readers.

I wonder what's over that hill?