When Are You ‘Elderly’?

I think I will be elderly when I join the local senior citizens club. Which will be never.

This brought to mind coming back off a cruise with my 15 year old daughter -(she was quite ill that year).
On the way home she mused; "Old people; they're just like us aren't they"
A great fact for her to learn at that age.

Calli

Well it would be more worrying if we were referred to an obstetrician!

I was "elderly" primagravida at the age of 25 when pregnant with my first child . I was speechless

I think elderly depends on your own age. When we were 12, my friend and I decided that elderly people should be euthanised as they had reached the end of their life and were a drain on society. Elderly, to us at the age of 12, was 60 (so that would be me a gonner if that had ever come to pass)

Now aged 60, I think of elderly as 85 or older (thinking of my mother in law). But I suspect when I'm approaching 70 that number will be revised

Hetty and Calli yes a couple of years ago, so late 60’s, my GP referred me to see a geriatrician! I was horrified when I found out!

WW010

My mum is 98 now and has finally admitted she’s elderly ?. It’s not that long ago she was letting people go in front of her at the post office because they were ‘old’. ?‍♀️

What do you mean "finally"?
She can't have been elderly for more than a couple of years at most!

Hetty58

Elderly is just a state of mind. I prefer to be 'mature' and in my prime. Unfortunately, though, 'geriatric' applies to the over 65s medically.

I think geriatric sounds even worse, oh dear.

Some days I feel elderly although in my head I'm still a spring chicken

Elderly is just a state of mind. I prefer to be 'mature' and in my prime. Unfortunately, though, 'geriatric' applies to the over 65s medically.

Same for me when I was 23 in 1973. I don’t know what they called me for my third baby at 39.
Elderly mother!

V3ra

I've been on the Tui holidays website this afternoon.
The drop-down box in the "Add Your Details" date-of-birth section gives a list of years of birth starting at 1870.
Now that's old to be still going on holiday ?

???

I'm going to the Antarctic on an expedition when I'm 150!
❄❄❄

V3ra

I've been on the Tui holidays website this afternoon.
The drop-down box in the "Add Your Details" date-of-birth section gives a list of years of birth starting at 1870.
Now that's old to be still going on holiday ?

Yep, I think I'd agree that anyone aged 150 is indeed 'old'. I recall that my G-Grandparents were born around that time....

One proactive response would be a letter to the local newspaper asking for a description of “elderly” and requesting an answer why services vary by age group.

Tweedle24

Those who were termed elderly when pregnant at 28 were doing OK. I had ‘elderly primagravida’ in my notes at 23!

That was in 1968 and I think the average age for first pregnancy has gone up quite significantly since then.

Same for me when I was 23 in 1973. I don’t know what they called me for my third baby at 39.

Maybe it’s when you’re proud of your great age - if people ever are nowadays!
As a child I remember a neighbour of a granny who used to say, ‘Seventy-five! - and everybody says I’m wonderful!’ every time you saw her.
75 seems nothing to brag about now, and even then (probably early 60s) I’m not sure it was.
My great-grandfather would have been in his 90s by then - he outlived both grandfathers by several years.

Always at least 10 years older than me!

varian
That makes me middle aged for sometime. Thanks for that ?

young= teens, twenties, thirties
middle aged = forties, fifties, sixties
old = seventies, eighties, nineties
elderly = over 100

i think anyone over 60 is elderly ..

I've been on the Tui holidays website this afternoon.
The drop-down box in the "Add Your Details" date-of-birth section gives a list of years of birth starting at 1870.
Now that's old to be still going on holiday ?

65 in medical statistics

Witzend

According to my notes, I was an ‘elderly’ primigravida when pregnant at 28!

Other than that, I gather that it’s when you hit the deck and have ‘had a fall’ rather than having merely fallen over.

Me too. Elderly primagravida and not even 30!

And I have tripped over more recently. Is that tripping over because I'm clumsy or 'having a fall' because of lack of concentration?

Witzend so was I!

According to my notes, I was an ‘elderly’ primigravida when pregnant at 28!

Other than that, I gather that it’s when you hit the deck and have ‘had a fall’ rather than having merely fallen over.

Yes I agree calendargirl that sign is not a good look and is not a realistic image of older people today who for the most part ‘live life to the full’.
I do remember as a teenager, and am ashamed to say, using the expression ‘wrinklies’.