Age

harrys_nan

At what age do you think someone becomes elderly and why?

paulineb_2

It's a personal opinion I think. My mum is 64, works full time and is fit and healthy. Technically an oap but I don't think of her as elderly at all.

Some people of the same age might be less active but I'm not sure I'd automatically think of a certain age group as elderly. Would depend on the person. You get 100 year old people who run marathons. Old, but in great shape.

daisiegg

Does anyone ever feel elderly?

My grandparents are in their late 70s. They sometimes go to a sort of day centre thing for elderly people, but they always talk about it and say 'it's not really for us...it is for old people, really'. They sometimes refer to the clientele as 'old dears' - nevermind that some of the 'old' people they are discussing are younger than them!

ariba10

I do not feel old, but I know quite a few people that are younger than me in years, but a lot older in ways.

balletshoes

I associate it with age and frailty together. For example, my mum is 68, she's still working, still has a full social life, still physically and mentally able. I don't consider her elderly.

One of her friends is maybe 5 years older, but has been in poor physical health for at least those 5 years, she is restricted in what she feels she can do because of it, and I do consider her to be elderly in my head.

nearlyrich

I think of people in care homes as elderly although we have a 91 year old friend in a care home who doesn't seem elderly to me.. my OH is technically old but he has more energy than me some days. It's a state of mind and attitude you really are as old as you feel.

harrys_nan

I'm 67, I don't feel elderly in anyway, but my partner of 69 says we are and it bugs the !!!!! Out of me. This is why I asked. I know I'm not young anymore, but his thinking makes me wonder if I'm living in cloud cuckoo land

Tigsteroonie

My Mum says she isn't elderly because her Mum (in her 90s) is still alive

Person_one

harrys_nan wrote: »

I'm 67, I don't feel elderly in anyway, but my partner of 69 says we are and it bugs the !!!!! Out of me. This is why I asked. I know I'm not young anymore, but his thinking makes me wonder if I'm living in cloud cuckoo land

The NHS/government etc. class you as an 'older person' if you're over 65.

Personally, I wouldn't consider someone 'elderly' until they were over 75, and in a few years I'll probably adjust that upward to 80 as life expectancies go up.

I don't think its really anything to do with how healthy or active you are, you can be frail and unwell at 20, or 40.

balletshoes

harrys_nan wrote: »

I'm 67, I don't feel elderly in anyway, but my partner of 69 says we are and it bugs the !!!!! Out of me. This is why I asked. I know I'm not young anymore, but his thinking makes me wonder if I'm living in cloud cuckoo land

under the new pension rules, I'll still be working when I'm your age, so no, I don't think of 67 as elderly .

harrys_nan

I wish I was still working was made redundant at almost 63, now live a fair way away from my family and as I go and visit them a lot, I don't want to start work again.
I do know I'm an older person but I'm def not elderly