My doctor called me 'An elderly Lady.'

A bit mean, and harsh, MaggieTulliver! No need for that.(are you one of those Mumsnetters who infiltrate our GN camp?) ?

Love it!!!

I was an elderly prima gravia at 25!!!

I received a copy of a letter from an orthopaedic surgeon who described me as a 'right dominant social worker'. He had dictated the letter whilst I was still with I him and I had interrupted his flow to point out that I was no longer a social worker as I had given up my registration 6 years into retirement. My interruption presumably caused him to leave out the word 'hand' as in 'right hand dominant social worker'. I laughed out loud!!

Your post made me chuckle - I think age is about how you feel and I certainly wouldn’t consider you elderly. I’m 61 and struggle to even think of myself as middle aged, ?

My husband & I were going into a supermarket the other day, I do understand it's best if you go singly, but he wanted to look at the wine. When we were going through the door, one of the staff came up to us & asked if we needed to be together, to which my husband replied quite adamantly 'yes!', she replied well I suppose you are 'elderly' so that's alright!!!! We are mid seventies, but it was still a shock!

It seems from the post I've read, later this year l turn from middle age to 'elderly' ? bring it on

Cornergran
Exactly. Age is but a number?

It is a medical thing, I am a nurse and have often thought it was an outdated practice. If it’s any comfort, in 1982 when I was expecting my first child I was referred to as an ‘elderly primip’ in my notes. I was 26 at the time. Age is a number -don’t let it upset you.

My grandma was most upset when her church asked her if she would like to hand over her voluntary job to someone younger in the congregation. The job was visiting elderly parishoners, and she indignantly pointed out that the older people loved to have a visitor, apparently she was oblivious to the fact that she was 95 at the time and considerably older than most of the 'poor old souls' she was supporting.

It's when shop assistants start calling you 'dear'

I was referred to as a geriatric mother when I had my son when I was 28. Thought it was funny then, and still do.

I’ve worked for the NHS for a long time, and I thought that words like ‘elderly’ had been banished! Certainly in one NHS Trust it was recognised that the actual word ‘elderly’ conveyed a passive, victim like person. ‘Older adult’ seems to convey more dignity.

There’s really no need for doctors or anyone to make subjective remarks to or about patients! ?

If you were admitted to hospital you could be in a ward for the elderly. Considerations have to be made for treatments because of age whether young or old. No way could your GP view you as anything other than elderly. Inspite of how we consider ourselves, how fit we may, be there is a time we have to acknowledge being elderly. It's hard and I too don't like it and find I get angry at all those dithering old folk in the queues who don't have their card easily got at or their purse ready to pay. Then I think, I'm probably older than that old soul!

Venus,

I have a couple of Pals who are Sikh, (which translated, means seeker of truth) and have always used the aphorism

'Old is Gold'

A precious metal indeed ! ! !

Much Love
Dooncaha

The late great comedian Dave Allen mentioned this in a 'celebration' of his humour last night. He said that like many of us he believed himself to be around 35 in his head. Then he caught sight of 'some old git in a shop window and wondered who the £$%& is that?'
In theory when you are in receipt of an old age pension I suppose you can consider yourself to be old. That must mean that I'm old too. Should it matter as long as you have an open mind and hopefully have gained some wisdom?

I am 65 in August and clinically elderly but would prefer the term "older lady" or more tactfully "mature" lol

A few years ago I was having a discussion / moan with a newish colleague about our mothers. All our complaints, moans, worries about our respective mums were the same. I then asked her how old her mother was. It turned out that her mum was only two years older than I was! I suddenly felt elderly!!

Oops. I'll be 68 in June, and I just ordered a pink flowery pair of dungarees for myself .... am I going to be a laughing stock I wonder or will I manage to carry it off? (It's my style, they can bury me in it, but I'm never gonna give in to "elderly" lol)

MerylStreep

I think there are a lot of women our age who believe they still look young and youthful.
We wear the clothes, do the hair and makeup in today’s style, walk upright etc etc.
But the truth is: we still look old. That’s unless you have friends in their 80s / 90s who tell you your still a spring chicken and how good you look.

Love this reply. I don’t understand why so many women become obsessed with ‘not looking’ their age. It’s just a number of the amount of years you have been alive!

I am proud to say I am 65, and am sure there will be folk who think I look older/younger and everything in between. Just be grateful you are still alive and kicking and let’s leave youth to the younger generations. Although, if you want to jump out of a plane when you are 80, go for it lol!

If folk only value you for the way you look/act, they are not worth having as friends. And as for doctors, they only see us as patients, not as old, young, trendy, old fashioned and so on. If we can make them laugh and they can make us better, that’s all that matters!

Helenm, me too! origins heavies at 25! deepest rural Suffolk.

I'm sticking with getting on a bit.

When manning phone at CAB recently we were told never to.use the term elderly as it had come to imply some sort of weakness or disability. What we were supposed to say instead I don't remember.

When my grandmother had her final hospital stay, she was horrified that she was put in a geriatric ward. She was only ninety at the time.

I think what mainly makes me cringe at "elderly" is it's so coy. We're geriatric. And as for the medical articles referring to "older adults" fgs WHAT AGE does this apply to? You end up not knowing if the advice applies to you or not.

annodomini

To be called an 'elder' in many cultures is an honourable description. Why is it that when the suffix -ly is added, it seems to be derogatory?

Quite agree, elder has connotations of wisdom and respect, elderly suggests frail and rather pathetic; the sort of person young "carers" "oh bless" about if not to. I can take older, old, elder or even venerable but elderly? Ah ah, try it and I'll be tempted to brain you with my trusty stick.

I'm in training for "old trout", I need a smelly dog, tweed skirts, a hat and a penchant for stiff gins & calling others gels even if they're 10 years older??