Am I now officially "old"?

My elderly aunt, in her 90s, and in a care home used to refer to her fellow residents dismissively as all those old dears in the the living room. Some were of course 20 years her junior - which might be a warning to M et Mme Macron!

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.

At over 70 my mother used to go and help with the ‘old people’s’ cheap hot lunches at her local church hall.

She soon realised that many of the lunchers were considerably younger than she was!

Might add that dh’s ‘Queen Midas’ old aunt used regularly to eat at one such - so cheap!! - despite having vast pots of money in the bank.

No thank you, Yammy! I’d be freaked out that I was married to one of my daughter’s ex-boyfriends!

?? Meryl

SueDonim

I saw an article about Bridgit Macron yesterday. It says she’s almost 70 and they referred to her as being in ‘late mid-life’.

Maybe we all need a 20 year younger Emmanuel to keep us young. It seems to work for all the silver foxes why not the going grey glamorous granny.

FarNorth

I came across this short BBC Sounds programme by Michael Mosley - 15 mins.
He advocates practicing standing on one leg, to improve balance and reduce the chance of 'having a fall'.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000w3lh

I do that while cleaning my teeth ?

Little grandson to DH : "Come on, Grandpa, another game of football! "
DH, half joking :" Too tired, Sam, remember I'm seventy-two!"
Grandson, kindly :" Yes, but you've had a good life."

I came across this short BBC Sounds programme by Michael Mosley - 15 mins.
He advocates practicing standing on one leg, to improve balance and reduce the chance of 'having a fall'.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000w3lh

Oopsadaisy1, Loved the cartoon

I had a fall last year. I was so busy trying to see which car had the barking dog that I fell over the kerb, flat on my face. There were people running towards me but I was up so quick with, luckily, only a slight graze to my elbow and achey wrists for a few days afterwards. Since then I am very, very careful when out and about. I virtually live in trainers.

Last year I slipped on black ice and had to have surgery as I broke my foot. I was put in a ward with ladies who were all about 90. My friend said it’s because I was 60 at the time and that is considered as “care for the elderly!”

I felt truly ancient at age 39. Responding to my then-six year old son, that the dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago, he responded with "Was that when you were a little girl?!

This…?

I broke my leg when I was only 72 and felt very indignant when my follow up appointment after I was discharged from hospital was with the “Elderly Care Team”. At the appointment I was offered a cup of tea and the consultant patted my shoulder.
8 years later I am back on crutches with the other knee, thankfully not broken, and have been sent an appointment at a rehabilitation facility which states that they aim to “get you up and moving”. I went swimming and walked two miles the day before my knee gave way and wish they could at least not communicate with their older patients as if we are all 95. Apologies to anyone who is.

Happy Birthday Ginpin
Oldwoman70 you should change your name on here immediately to Youngwoman35 or anything you fancy but whoever thought of that??

I walk with the U3A and carry walking poles which are socially acceptable walking sticks - and they are such a help especially up and down hills.
You are supposed to be over 55 before you join or retired and I always said it was for old people so put it off but now I have joined and love that I can just about keep up! One of the fittest is in her 80s.
I am a grandmother to 7 (3 are teenagers) and nearly all my DC have some grey hair so I can't pretend anyway.
I went out on a pub crawl last weekend with a younger friend and a teenager. We ended up in the Student union bar. It was very good fun.
Wear your heels OP, or whatever makes you feel good.
Enjoy the years left - I intend to.

I think it was Jo Brand who said she'd noticed that young people fall down but old people "have a fall"

Falls are the leading cause of older people being confined to a care facility. What can possibly be offensive about an offer of help? It's what kind people do.

I'm not old from the neck up. My hair is not grey and my skin is not too bad. But I have to use a walking stick and I hobble. Kind people help me carry my shopping when I am juggling stick, bags and hobble. Sometimes I wobble too, and my balance feels uncertain. Then I feel old.
When lockdown hit my lovely young neighbour came to offer me help with shopping and said " Are you over 70?" Then I felt old.
On the other hand my young grandson asked why I didn't look old. Then I felt, not young but well preserved.
Same grandson, when I had lost my hair due to chemo and I was wearing a wig. studied my face very seriously and said that the trouble was that I had young hair and an old face. Then I felt old. The honesty of children.

Three score years and ten. Yes that’s considered old. BUT old these days is not the same as when we were young and saw 70 year olds. There’s a good reason for the older generation not to wear high heals - we fall. Ok some will come on hear saying it’s not old but we know our own bodies.
May you have many years in front of you (if your sensible)

Anyone can fall but the best way to avoid it at any age is to keep fit-I’m 72, I run 3x a week, walk on the other days, do Pilates and weights. I’m determined not to be a frail old lady who falls over, can’t open jars or carry anything and walks with a stick at 80!! I shall keep on with this regime as long as I’m able but would accept toning it down if I have to but never give it up.

Old to me has always been when you can’t cut your own toenails! I can still cut mine, but I’ve had many falls and broken ankles three times.

female assistants grow out of bumping car enjoyment, males never

Rubbish, I would very much have liked the chance to do that when I was a shop assistant.

Last September I fell off the bottom step of the stairs and broke my ankle in 3 places and had to have an operation with metal plates. March this year I fell of a step ladder and banged my head on the cast iron radiator, I had to have stitches, the doctor said you may think you are young but you are not and that accident could have been very dangerous. His comments for the first time made me realise how old I am. 3 weeks down the line whilst on holiday I fell my full length in a restaurant. So yes I am now old and accident prone.

You fall because you’re clumsy not because you’re old.

Well, I am 65 today and it is the frst birthday when I am feeling old!
It could be to do with the start of a slow recovery from either food poisoning or gastro enteritis where I was in bed for a week. Just feel so tired
On a positive note, I have not been this slim for quite a while !

Petera

It depends on whether, when discussing this over dinner afterwards, they said 'you fell' or 'you had a fall'.

Haha! Exactly this!