Am I now officially "old"?

Falling over is fine but 'having a fall' is a sign of old age. When I broke my knee skiing aged 75 everyone assumed I'd had a knee replacement due to arthritis! My son suggested that I get one of those alarm things but I refused however I did agree that he could put a tracker on my 'phone! They have one for the children and it means that if he tries to call me at ten o'clock at night and I don't answer he can check to see if I am in the middle of a field somewhere having fallen over while walking the dogs!

An interesting one! So I have to 'have a fall' to find out if I am officially old yet? My birth certificate says I'm 80, my body, mobility and agility indicate younger but my stamina is definitely old! Plenty of rest breaks required now! My daughter considers me to be "doing really well" for my age. I think that old saying "you're only as old as you feel" is the one to go by - I know plenty of 60s and 70s who are older than I am! If there's a thing to learn from all the above, it's stay away from high heels!

When I dropped something in M&S and a floor walker scurried over to pick it up for me I realised I was old! I’m only 76!

I'm rather dyspraxic too so bumps and falls have happened all my life. Unfortunately the last time I tripped over a kerb and poleaxed myself, I broke a rib ☹️, osteoporosis is the family curse and this was the first time it had affected me.

I fell over walking home from Pilates and bruised ribs! The younger woman who was with me was very concerned so I got up, brushed myself down and insisted I was fine. ? Now I find I get lots of unsolicited help because I've lost most of my hair. I suspect people think I'm ill.

You are only as old as the man you feel ( as the saying goes! ) I will take that as my Dh is younger!

My hubby falls at least three times a week … with a walking frame! In the house! On wooden floor with NO trip hazards! Reason is , he drags his feet instead of bending his knees…..says he can’t bend his knees …. unless he’s walking upstairs ( 6” riser) then he can bends his knees. He can and will trio over a stray hair on the floor!

My mother was always very coy about her age and if asked how old she was would say "as old as my tongue and a little bit older than my teeth". On the subject of falls, a GP practice in a neighbouring village used to run a "falls clinic" to help the elderly with balance and walking. Most of those attending were women and it became known as the "clinic for fallen women".

Not unless you read The Oldie regularly. I read it for a year and discontinued - far too old for me and too many articles about dead celebs. I'm not sure about reading Saga Mag either - too many ageing celebs.

Yes!

I always think that old denotes that you are the age you are but that "elderly" is a state of physical health. You can be not so old and elderly at the same time but can be very old and not be elderly! (Does that even make sense?)

No one in my family on either side has lived past 72. I'm 71 years and 3 months so have been a bit thoughtful of late.

Up till recently I thought I had handled getting older quite well, but nastiness from my immediate next door neighbour reduced me to a wreck, mentally and physically.

Things are getting better since my family dealt with my neighbour ( he already has an ASBO) and I am trying to look at more postive ways to live. There's lots of help out there and the falls clinic is a great place to start. I have an appointment next week where I will be assessed and have an MOT with a doctor at the end of the 90 minute session.

I have had falls and a problem with my right hip causes me to tip over to the side occasionally. Better safe than sorry is my motto now.

Ironically in my work as a mobile manicurist in my younger days I used to hand out the leaflet about preventing falls to older clients. Many of them were bruised and battered from falls in the home and outside.

Knickers I AM old. Who cares? I don’t. I ask for help at a shops checkout. Get my bag packed for me by the till assistant and 9 out of 10 times he/ she comes around and picks my bag up from the counter and gets someone to carry it to my car. In the main Tesco where they provide mobility scooters, the Male assistants accompany me back to the car, lift my bags in then delightedly drive the scooter back into the shop. ( makes me recall that great feeling as a kid when first being allowed to drive a bumping car at a fair ———-female assistant’s grow out of bumping car enjoyment, males never)
There isn’t any given age for feeling old. Brought on due to firstly an accident then by poor treatment from my local hospital resulting in 2 years of severe pain and enforced chair rest resulted in my becoming old. I feel old but who cares? I accept it and am quite happy. It’s just great how people help me and I couldn’t thank you all enough. You enable me to live a full life looking after myself as much as I possibly can. Yet get help where I need it and believe me, it took me a long time to actually be able to ask for help.

I love the clinic for fallen women

?Old? I stumbled and fell in the fishpond the other day full of bruises now

If a young person falls over, people say "they fell over"
If an older person falls over people say "they had a fall"

AreWeThereYet

When DM was 82 she used to go out collecting for 'Help the Aged'. It was a while before it dawned on her that she was older than most of the people she was trying to help.

My mother was still collecting for Christian Aid in her 70's until she fell down some steps when going door to door and ended up black and blue, though thankfully without broken bones. We then persuaded her it was time to give up that activity. She argued that the organiser for the town was in her 80's! Sadly many very elderly people still volunteer for charities as younger people often work full time and can't spare the time so volunteering often falls on the shoulders of retired people. That's why when we retire we can't believe we ever had time to go to work!

Personally I think being busy and volunteering keeps me young. I can't imagine being retired and sitting at home all the time and I do keep busy even though sometimes it is exhausting.

I remember years ago I offered to help an elderly lady down the step and off the train. She screamed at me she could do it herself and she wasn't an invalid. I was mortified and it put me off offering help to others after that.

I started using a stick a few years ago, because some days it’s very painful in my hip standing up from sitting. A lot of people offer me seats on public transport and are considerate in other ways when they see my stick. I was a bit taken aback at first to be the one needing help, but it’s encouraging to know the help is there.

I realised I must look older than I thought when I knocked something off a shelf in Boots and a lovely young woman (a customer) came running over to pick it up. I thanked her and managed to stop myself saying I could do it myself. I’ve now decided to just look helpless and hope others lift heavy items or reach high shelves for me.
I think it was the comedian/comedienne Zoe Lines who said you know you’re old when you ‘have a fall’ instead of falling over as many of the posters have already said. She isn’t even old.

Im turning 50 this year.
I've been 'having falls' all my life, I have dyspraxia.
I had quite a nasty fall at home at Christmas.
Thankfully nothing broken. I've been quite lucky that way so far......

No not at all officially old! I it's because of the heels you hadn’t worn in a long time

Awww your nickname is Oldwoman so perhaps you are feeling that way ?

Could it not have been a reflex reaction on the part of your friends? I’m sure you would have done the same if somebody close by tripped. I think you’re reading too much into this act of kindness.

Age is in the mind, it’s up to you whether you want to behave old or young. Some are old at 50, me I’m forever in my teens. Flats are the new heels as far as I’m concerned.