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Original poster

To be surprised that 65+ is deemed ‘elderly’

339 replies

Helfs · 09/03/2024 20:03

Off the back of another thread I wanted to see what the actual definition or classification of ‘elderly’ was and I was very surprised to see it defined as 65+

I always thought 80+ as being elderly so this has really surprised me. Especially looking at those I know around the 65-70 mark, they’re fit, healthy, living their best life and do not scream ‘elderly’ if you looked at them.

Personally I’ve always seen it as;
0-1 baby
1-3 toddler
3-13 child
13-19 - teenager
19-25 young adult
25-40 - adult
40-55 - Middle Aged

55-80 - old
80+ - elderly

So do you think this definition is fair on those who are 65, should the definition not evolve as life expectancies rise?

OP posts:
SadnessInMyIntestines · 10/03/2024 00:10

I actually think middle age is 10 years older than whatever your current age is, old is 10 years older than your parents’ current ages (or what they would have been)!

More seriously:

young adult - 18 to 25
younger adult - 26 to 40
middle aged - 41 to 60
older adult - 61 to 75
old adult - 76 - 85
extremely old adult - 86+

CatamaranViper · 10/03/2024 00:10

Sconenjam · 10/03/2024 00:02

Old is 80
Elderly is 90

Nah, I just lost my grandad at 89 and he was definitely elderly for the last several years. My grandma who died in her early 90s was just old thought.

Imo frailty defines the difference between old and elderly, not age.

BIossomtoes · 10/03/2024 00:09

CatamaranViper · 10/03/2024 00:08

So only your sample counts?

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It counts a bit more than your single example.

2024theplot · 10/03/2024 00:09

SadnessInMyIntestines · 09/03/2024 23:58

It’s quite unusual to have a 52 year old with teen grandkids - perhaps it’s the being a grandparent that makes her seem older. I have friends whose children won’t even be that age when they’re 52.

I’ve never known anyone working age describe themselves as old - older, occasionally, but not old.

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Most of the ladies in their 50s in work are grandparents, I don't know anyone who is 50+ with children that aren't adults.
Plenty of people in my office describe themselves as old, but again it's not being used as a derogatory term. It's "I don't dye my greys, I don't feel the need to hide that I'm old, but when I was your age I used to have highlights" or "one of the perks of being old is that I get to access 25% of my pension pot soon" etc

Edit to add - by "in work" I do mean "in my work"

CatamaranViper · 10/03/2024 00:08

BIossomtoes · 10/03/2024 00:03

It does mean that I don’t know any out of a reasonably large sample. Anyway I’ve got better things to do than argue about something so inconsequential.

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So only your sample counts?

CatamaranViper · 10/03/2024 00:05

SadnessInMyIntestines · 09/03/2024 23:51

Or have grey bobs in their 50s!

How do people know how old their colleagues are anyway? I couldn’t tell you who at work was in their 30s, 40s and 50s - I may just be rubbish at working out ages, but most people could genuinely be anywhere between about 30 and 55.

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I don't think I know more than 5 women who are 50+ who don't have a true grey or cool blonde bob TBF.

BIossomtoes · 10/03/2024 00:03

BenefitWaffle · 09/03/2024 23:59

@blossomtoes That does not mean they do not exist.

It does mean that I don’t know any out of a reasonably large sample. Anyway I’ve got better things to do than argue about something so inconsequential.

Sconenjam · 10/03/2024 00:02

Old is 80
Elderly is 90

TeabySea · 10/03/2024 00:02

I spend a reasonable amount of time at various activities with people 70+. Pretty much all of them are fitter than me, and do a hell of a lot more than I do.

One of them was telling me about a friend she'd had (who died some years ago) - who at 90 was doing meals on wheels deliveries. She liked "helping the old people" (who were younger than her).

BenefitWaffle · 09/03/2024 23:59

@blossomtoes That does not mean they do not exist.

SadnessInMyIntestines · 09/03/2024 23:58

2024theplot · 09/03/2024 23:55

We openly discuss it in my office, usually started by the older people with a "back in my day.." or a "when I graduated high school in X year..", but nobody there treats old as a bad thing. This woman in question told me she had three years left till she could access 25% of her pension, and then went on to give me helpful pension advice, and then went on to say that she felt it was her duty as an old colleague to make sure young people entering work knew about their pensions as her grandkids (young teens) didn't have a clue.

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It’s quite unusual to have a 52 year old with teen grandkids - perhaps it’s the being a grandparent that makes her seem older. I have friends whose children won’t even be that age when they’re 52.

I’ve never known anyone working age describe themselves as old - older, occasionally, but not old.

CatamaranViper · 09/03/2024 23:57

BIossomtoes · 09/03/2024 23:48

@CatamaranViper, very few people are “very frail” in their 70s.

Aye true but they do exist! My MIL's little sister is 72 (yesterday!) and is incredibly frail.

2024theplot · 09/03/2024 23:55

SadnessInMyIntestines · 09/03/2024 23:51

Or have grey bobs in their 50s!

How do people know how old their colleagues are anyway? I couldn’t tell you who at work was in their 30s, 40s and 50s - I may just be rubbish at working out ages, but most people could genuinely be anywhere between about 30 and 55.

Show quote history

We openly discuss it in my office, usually started by the older people with a "back in my day.." or a "when I graduated high school in X year..", but nobody there treats old as a bad thing. This woman in question told me she had three years left till she could access 25% of her pension, and then went on to give me helpful pension advice, and then went on to say that she felt it was her duty as an old colleague to make sure young people entering work knew about their pensions as her grandkids (young teens) didn't have a clue.

BIossomtoes · 09/03/2024 23:55

BenefitWaffle · 09/03/2024 23:51

@blossomtoes Not true. The media age of death for women is 84. There are quite a few frail women in their late seventies.

Average life expectancy may well be 84 but that bears no relation to frailty. My friends are all in their 70s, not a frail one between the lot of them. Most of them - unlike me - play golf two or three times a week. There are a fair few gym bunnies too.

dizzydizzydizzy · 09/03/2024 23:53

Oh dear I'm old.

BenefitWaffle · 09/03/2024 23:51

median not media

BenefitWaffle · 09/03/2024 23:51

@blossomtoes Not true. The media age of death for women is 84. There are quite a few frail women in their late seventies.

SadnessInMyIntestines · 09/03/2024 23:51

BIossomtoes · 09/03/2024 23:48

@CatamaranViper, very few people are “very frail” in their 70s.

Or have grey bobs in their 50s!

How do people know how old their colleagues are anyway? I couldn’t tell you who at work was in their 30s, 40s and 50s - I may just be rubbish at working out ages, but most people could genuinely be anywhere between about 30 and 55.

Lianna077 · 09/03/2024 23:51

NotCute · 09/03/2024 20:09

65 is late middle age/early old age.

Middle age being 45-65.

65-75 is early old age.
75-85 is old age.
85 onwards is advanced old age

Absolutely spot on!

Isthisreasonable · 09/03/2024 23:49

At 55 I was bombarded by adverts from the likes of Mccarthy & Stone offering the opportunity to experience a great lifestyle in their senior housing. No mention of the facilities they would be offering my dc who was at primary school though.

BIossomtoes · 09/03/2024 23:48

@CatamaranViper, very few people are “very frail” in their 70s.

2024theplot · 09/03/2024 23:48

CatamaranViper · 09/03/2024 23:43

Sorry but 50+ is old.
If you told me to look for an old woman with a grey bob, I'd be looking at anyone aged around 50+. If you said elderly woman I'd be looking for someone very frail (and around 70+).

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Thank you! My colleagues clearly all agree as they all come to me when looking for someone they've not met, and they have never once said "oh 2024theplot, there wasn't an old woman in room 123?".
Now I think about it, the first time I met said woman, she sent me an email telling me she was in room 123 and was the old one in the corner and to come see her about XYZ work when I had a moment.

CatamaranViper · 09/03/2024 23:43

SadnessInMyIntestines · 09/03/2024 23:37

But 50+ isn’t old, so you aren’t being accurate with your description. I know if you told me to look for an old woman with a grey bob, I’d be looking for someone much older than 50.

As I said, an age descriptor (whether it relates to younger, older or middle-aged) be considered acceptable in my workplace - and thank goodness for that!

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Sorry but 50+ is old.
If you told me to look for an old woman with a grey bob, I'd be looking at anyone aged around 50+. If you said elderly woman I'd be looking for someone very frail (and around 70+).

2024theplot · 09/03/2024 23:43

SadnessInMyIntestines · 09/03/2024 23:37

But 50+ isn’t old, so you aren’t being accurate with your description. I know if you told me to look for an old woman with a grey bob, I’d be looking for someone much older than 50.

As I said, an age descriptor (whether it relates to younger, older or middle-aged) be considered acceptable in my workplace - and thank goodness for that!

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Nobody has ever struggled to find people based on my descriptions. 50 is definitely old enough to be described as old, especially in the work place where the ages are 18-65ish.

MumblesParty · 09/03/2024 23:43

Peeppuandpopo · 09/03/2024 23:23

@MumblesParty still late middle aged whether you ferry your son to football or not. It’s a descriptive term of your chronological age, again like it or not.
Same with the poster banging on about being fitter than ‘most 40 year olds’ or the one whose mother dyed her hair blond 🙄 People are getting tetchy because of the negative associations about being old, probably grey and mentally slow.

Edited

@Peeppuandpopo I’m fine with “late middle age”. But OP’s classification was 55-80 = old. I think that’s too broad a group, because it encompasses too much variation. I don’t think anyone can call 55 “old”.