I.m not that old. !!!

And yet, when we were young like these nurses, anyone over 50 was an ancient relic!! 😆

It is probably not mentioned now as being discriminatory just as it is not correct to label anyone either able-bodied or disabled.

Just read through this thread and gave been amused by people interpretation of what has been written in letters about patients
I wonder what the doctor meant when he wrote fiercely independent And didn’t add for her age

Yes, same thing happened to me…. I was on a ward with much older people too. I felt the nurses were a bit condescending.

"... I was under the care of geriatric doctors..." so it's the doctors who are old...

My sister is 60 and calls herself middleaged, I assume she is planning to live until 120.

I tend to refer to over 60 as old and over 80 as elderly.

NannyKnit

This thread reminds me of something a school friend said recently (we’re just 70). She had ‘had a fall’ but preferred to think of it as having fallen over. At what age does falling over become ‘having a fall’?

I agree. Why 'had a fall'? It sounds weird. At what age do we stop 'falling over' and why?

PinkCosmos

We have one of these signs near us. There is no old people's home nearby so I am not sure why it is there.

We do live in an area that is popular with retirees though.

I prefer seniors to elderly or pensioners. I think they say this in Australia

You may like these then....

I work in customer relations department of a major insurance company and get irritated when a customer family member makes out their parent is elderly some as young as 55. 64 and most definitely don’t consider myself elderly or incapable, in fact my children still come to my husband and I for lots of issues in their lives. Age is just a number and as long as you feel fit and well ignore anyone who thinks you’re no longer capable

I think of having a fall as when someone in good health would not have fallen, maybe due to balance issues or not being quick enough to save themselves from falling.

At the age of 80 I am happy to be described as "elderly" and prefer it to being described as"old". At least we don't now use the term "old biddy" which is how my mother used to talk of any elderly woman.

I got used to being "elderly" from the start of the pandemic. Suddenly DH and I were being categorised as "elderly vulnerable" and were prioritised for vaccinations, access to Waitrose online deliveries etc for which we were very grateful. But it amused our family. We even adopted the term in our team name for online quizzes with the family. DH and I became team Evil (Elderly Vulnerable in Lockdown).

My mother told my father's Cardiologist she was neither deaf, daft or decrepit after being asked to leave the room to allow a constructive discussion. They were both 68 at the time.

Theexwife

My sister is 60 and calls herself middleaged, I assume she is planning to live until 120.

I tend to refer to over 60 as old and over 80 as elderly.

Crumbs!! I would never regard over 60 as old. I'm now over 80 and consider myself older, but not elderly.

Though I turn 80 this year, I would be upset at being called geriatric! Yea, my body is slowing down, yea, I am forgetful - does that make me an old lady?

I was told that as I was over 75 I had to be given an x ray on my foot, just as well as it was broken!
I suppose it is nicer to be pleasant than a lot of other things!

When (if) I turn 80 I will definitely be an old woman. Not sure I'll be an old "lady" 😊

Baggs
That’s the name of the game as they say grow old disgracefully 😄

I am 75 still wear jeans and recently bought a denim jacket….which my dd tells me looks great. Don’t spend a lot on clothes am short and overweight but still take an interest in fashion and style. I may be old in years but not ready for crimpoline - though don’t object to the stretch in my jeans.

Woukdnt wear double denim of course ….

I am 80 this year but still think like a teenager! The ravages of time affect all of us in different degrees. On a recent visit to a clinic the Doctor commented that I was good for 79!

I care for two cats, a wife twelve years my junior and a brother-in-law 22 years younger than me. We all have different conditions due to genetics and life style.

When my grandmother had to have an operation she was very cross because they put her in a geriatric ward "full of old people" She was 91 at the time!

LucyAnna

Cabbie21

I was really pleased when I read a consultant’s letter to my GP described me as a “ very pleasant lady”, with no mention of the word ‘ elderly’, though of course my date of birth was somewhere in the letter.
This was following a fracture. When I was asked by the clinician ‘“Would you say you are active?”, I replied,” Yes, but it’s all relative”, meaning I lead a normal sort of life without restrictions, as long as it is at my own pace. I don’t go to the gym or do anything other than short walks and housework to keep physically active, but am very active mentally and in the community.
She ticked the box for Active. Surprised but pleased.
Not everyone downgrades us.

I had a consultants letter to my GP a couple of years ago describing me as a “very pleasant lady” - I wondered if it was medical staff code for…..?

My ENT consultant always says the same in his follow up letters to the GP. I think they all use it because they know we have sight of the letter! (or perhaps is just means that we didn't behave like hooligans).

I do find medical letters containing judgemental remarks a bit off, even if they are positive things like "very pleasant lady". What possible reference can it have to a medical condition? And why does the consultant get to make the judgement? I dont usually get stroppy about such things, but it grates on me and seems condescending. I assume its some hang over from the days when doctors were upper class and so they got to pass judgement. Am I being a bit prickly about this?

Gwenisgreat

Though I turn 80 this year, I would be upset at being called geriatric! Yea, my body is slowing down, yea, I am forgetful - does that make me an old lady?

Body slowing down - can happen at any age. Becoming forgetful - can happen at any age. Being 80 years of age - makes you an old/older lady. Sorry about that.

Tomorrow I'll be 68. I'm very thankful that I still have my health, fitness and interest in life. Becoming 68 won't change a thing about me except that my body and brain are getting older and sooner or later are going to show signs of wear and tear. But two of my brothers died in their thirties. My cousin died at 52. Another brother is unlikely to see 65. Two of my close friends died in their sixties. So doctors can call me geriatric, senior, old, whatever they like, as I age. I'm just grateful I'm alive to hear it.

A doctor who worked in geriatric medicine told me that at the facility in which he worked, the staff used the terms, ‘ off their feet ‘, ‘ off their head ‘, - or both!