When Are You ‘Elderly’?

PamSJ1

55 apparently. I was devastated when someone told a child to 'mind the old lady'. I do use a stick as I have osteoarthritis and had my face mask and bubble that on but still!

Typo should read bobble hat

At 72 and pretty fit I am only 'elderly' when it suits me!

I was an elderly prima gravida at age 24!!!

When we start acting like it- so I'll never be elderly lol My mum at the age of 82 often describes one of her neighbours, of the same age, as the old lady up the road. she would be mortified if she was described in the same way.

I am sure utility companies are legally obliged to prioritise older people though not aware if what age is the catalyst for priority. I do chuckle at myself when out shopping and encounter older folk who seem to be so dithery at the checkout eg insisting on packing in the trolley instead of taking shopping to the packing shelf, not having their credit card ready and them rummaging in bags and purses or counting out their bill in a mountain of coins and worst of all, leaving mid checkout to go get something they have forgotten, no social distancing. To me they are old!

I think the defining moment is when you stop tripping or falling over and "have a fall" instead

I was also described as a primagravida at 27 so also wonder what I would have been called at the birth of my third child at the age of 40! I find the term elderly offensive and instead of chronological age I work on biological age. There are various ways of working out your biological age using mental and physical measures. It can also work the other way and add years instead of taking them away!

I stick with 'getting on a bit'. I too was told I had just got in with my first before I was classed as primagravida.

Meant to say at just turned 25.

@Carolpaint- How can you tell if the geriatrician is a psycho or not?

Lizzypopbottle!

Well, when I was in my 20's I used to think anyone over 30 was elderly...

At 34 I was an elderly primagravada and similarly felt affronted as other posters.

My aunt who is 94 did say to me she thought she had done with growing old and thought that perhaps she had now arrived. Incidentally it was this aunt who came up with the opinion which led to my username on here. I'm sure I don't know what she means?

Oh goodness “elderly “ reminds me of those yellow street signs with two people with walking sticks , Beware Elderly People Crossing!! Reminds me of ones we saw in Perth Australia saying Kangaroos Crossing!! By the way our friends in Perth moved into a gated secure retirement complex for “oldies “when they were 60 and 62 although both were still working full time , most of the people there were retired but the facilities are amazing lovely one or two bed bungalows, bowls green , tennis courts , swimming pool, computer rooms , library etc ., so I think that’s the reason they moved there a bit like perpetual holiday complex but that’s another story !!!
We all feel different (or not )
when things happen in life to lift us up or drag us down ... I have been to the shops only two times since last March due to being extremely clinically vulnerable according to the NHS letters from Matt Hancock , no doubt lots of you have all received them , well I felt quite good until I started receiving them approximately every two months , made me feel that going out would possibly end with me being on life support in a hospital bed, not something any of us want ... now had my COVID vaccination, arm ache and headache today so hubby’s looking after me but I still don’t feel elderly , perhaps I will do after my 75th birthday in April !

I was talking to a client of mine yesterday and she asked what would happen to her in her old age with regards housing. I asked how old she was, 33 she replied. So? she asked 'when I get to 50 what will happen to me?' I felt old!

My grandmother was amazed that, in her final stay in hospital, she was put in a geriatric ward. She was a mere ninety at the time.

Last week my 7 year old granddaughter was studying the stages of life as part of her home schooling. Apparently the national curriculum is telling children that people are elderly at 65! I am 70 and walk at least 5 miles every day - without the aid of a walking stick!

My mum refused a walking stick after her knee replacements because only old people used them and she was only 73 years old. As the saying goes "you are as old as you feel".

My late mum used to do shopping for her neighbour she called the ‘ elderly lady next door ‘ who was 87. My mum was 85. It’s all in the mind.

Never! It's a word I hate. I'd much rather be "old."

In many cultures, it's an honour to be known as 'an elder'. I've probably told the story before of when my sister and I were on a little tourist bus on a New Zealand beach. The driver, when he was getting close to the lodge where we were staying, said,'I'll just drop the elder ladies off here'. We looked at each other but as there was nobody else on the bus who met the description, realised that he meant us. But it was an honourable title and we were quite happy to be thought of as 'elders'. 'Elderly' is another matter. It's just a euphemism for 'old'. When did you ever see a newspaper report referring to an 'old' person as the victim of a crime or an accident, even if, by all possible criteria, that person is actually 'old'? I'm 80 - I don't mind being old!

Me to elderly primigravida at 27. It was not explained what it meant no chance to ask, remembered the primo part when telling my husband and said they were calling me something about a monkey!!!!!

Twenty years ago I worked for a while in social services. 65 was 'younger elderly'; 75 was 'elderly' and 85 was officially ancient.

Never mind the quality, see the width!

I read somewhere that in 1914 King George V sent just 24 Congratulations cards to centenarians. In 2014, HM sent well in excess of 7,000. So 'elderly' is moving up the age scale, it seems to me.

(Notwithstanding the NHS who probably still refer to some young pregnant mums as 'elderly' primagravidas.)

I had my COVID jab today and I am only 60. I’m grateful but it made me feel old.

I have thought about this over the last few days and I have co e to the following conclusion.

I am elderly whenever it gets me a discounf

I might be getting old but I'm not elderly!