When Are You ‘Elderly’?

NHS is up to 69 until you broach 70 then you become ELDERLY, so from then on you will probably find you might transfer to an elderly ward or in psychiatry to a psycho geriatrician, unless you have had a mental illness that existed pre your referral. Perhaps Social Workers might like to list where their Council puts the line?

Gwyneth, I received something the other day that used the term 'Older Adult' and decided that's how I'm going to title myself henceforth.

The Lord only knows. My son thinks I should just keep imagining that I’m 39, rather like Patsy in Ab Fab.

Many years ago my Mums friend was widowed in her late 50s.She lived in quite a remote area and her family insisted she wear an alert button round her neck. One day when she was hanging out her washing she heard a police siren and the police officers came into her garden. They said that an old women lived at this address. Where was she as she had pressed her panic button? Ethel had pressed the button accidentally while carrying the washing basket, was not amused and never used the alert again and my mum for that reason 20 years later refused too. I am 71 and really would be reluctant .

My mother who was in her early nineties, said "they don't seem to have anything for middle aged ladies in M&S anymore"

I’m distinctly elderly first thing in the morning. As the day wears on the years magically drop off and by the evening I’m just a skittish young thing.

I am the same Blinko. When I first went to work people in their 30's seemed elderly!

We're never elderly if we don't feel we are. My mum at 88 didn't want to go to a daycare centre "as it was full of old people". She did eventually go and ended up playing their piano for a sing song

It comes and goes - yesterday I felt ancient - today I have just been out to build a snowman.

My dad was in hospital with a kidney infection. He was put in the geriatric ward. The next day he said to me ' I've asked the Dr to get me out of this ward and move me, they've stuck me with all these old people by mistake and they are doing my head in!' My dad was 94 and the oldest one in there by miles ?

Same here Blinko.

I will never be elderly it is a term that I simply will not accept. If older people can skydive, paraglide, scuba-dive, drive, swim or dig the garden, which most young people would cringe at the thought of as they tap on their phones and tablets. I am an older person and happy to be so. ‘Elderly’ has so many connotations of frailty, disability, infirmity and the end of usefulness . I cringe whenever I hear the word as it is so negative and disabling rather than enabling, I am thoroughly enjoying my older age, I hope that you are too. That word should be confined to the bin!

Well I absolutely was not - until March 2020 when all over 70's were officially labelled as elderly and vulnerable. It hurt.

As of Sunday apparently when I had my 67th birthday. The day after I read a report headline of ‘an elderly woman’ being robbed. When I read further I found she was 67!

I feel quite insulted to be labelled elderly, 77ys but mentally think I’m still young! I don’t feel any different, I’m a nurse and when working the elderly care units were least popular wards, but in actual fact most wards had large proportion of older patients, apart from specialist wards for dementia there should need to have elderly care wards,

My problem is that I can't accept being turned 80 !

that`s me also EllanVan... see I forgot your pen name already
but people a lot younger physically!!! than me, suffer that problem also

I agree

Blinko- that's my reasoning too ?.

My nan did the shopping for the 'elderly couple in the house opposite' whenever she went in to town. She lugged the bags up the steep hill to them the day before she died (peacefully in her sleep). She often talked of her 'elderly friends opposite'. At her funeral the 'elderly friends opposite' came out to see her funeral leave the house. They were early 60's. Nan was 81! It made us all smile that day .

When they say people are 75 I think old till I realise I shall be 75 in a few months time! I don't think old but I am not as string as I was and can't walk so far. BUT I am generally fit and healthy and enjoying life ( well normally outside of the pandemic!)

Blinko

In my book, 'elderly' is at least ten years older than me - at any given age.

Absolutely Blinko! Surely there is no other acceptable way to define elderly...

I have had a number of falls so I was referred to the “fall” clinic. I was taken aback when the appointment arrived. It said geriatric unit! Geriatric, how did that happen?? I’m 75 I now have to walk with a stick but I’m still going strong and do NOT consider myself a geriatric or elderly come to that!

My in laws objected to a planning application for a retirement complex in their village on the grounds that it would be full of old people. They were mid 80s at the time.

If you are having a first baby at 35+ you are an "elderly primigravida" (the term is no longer in use - but it is used, nonetheless. So there you are.

I'm 64. I'm elderly when it suits me, middle-aged when it doesn't!

I don’t like the word at all but guess it is marginally better than ‘frail aged’. I prefer late middle age up to about 75 I reckon. Could go up to 80 in a few years’ time !