What age is old and elderly?

[peasandpetals]

Just curious.
What age do you class as old?
As elderly?
Are they the same thing?
I ask as I'm unable to gauge what I am.
I'd love to know your age and your assessment.
Just a bit of fun.

What do you think OP?

Added to all the other ageist crap posted on mumsnet, that was not remotely funny

I'm a young middle aged person, my dh is an old middle aged person, me being older than him doesn't come into it.

And how do you excuse your rudeness?

I'm 58 and very happy to describe myself as old, because that is what I am. I have already lived the vast majority of my life, and could kick the bucket at any time.
But "elderly" implies frailty and losing one's faculties (rightly or wrongly), so I don't think that applies to me yet.

When it comes to medication I think it’s about 65 that they consider drugs might work differently due to age? Not totally sure about that.

The nurse at my annual medication check asked if I’d noticed any changes in memory (not just the walking into a room and forgetting why you’re gone in there which she says is normal ) and I’m 62.

But away from a medical definition I agree it’s person to person. My DB is early 70s and goes on strenuous walking tours in the Dolomites. I’ve a friend the same age who refers to herself as old and decided she was ‘frail’. That is very much how she feels about herself though I think. I feel very young mentally but physically due to all sorts of health problems my body doesn’t feel that way.

Depends on the person. 80+ for me.

I have friends in their 70s who are fit as a fiddle and very active. One of my best friends is 74 and we regularly go for 5 mile walks/runs.

Age is just a number

Reported. Im not yet 60 but am sick of it

I'd describe someone 65+ as 'an older woman/man', but wouldn't call someone old until approximately mid-seventies. Similar for elderly 75+.

I agree with this.

One of my Grandmas has always been "old" because she dressed and acted like an old lady. My other Grandma, was never old. TBF she died at 72 so actually wasn't old.

My Grandad has started to seem old in the last 2 years, he's 89.
But I used to work in a care home and we had a handful of residents who were 102-104. So in comparison everyone seemed young!

I'd say elderly is 80+ and old is how you feel you cope with life after 65+. Before everyone attacks I'm not saying everyone over 65 is old. But over 65 some people say they feel old. I suspect it is linked to health and social life. If you are in poor health and have very little social life don't get out much I suspect you might start to feel old. If you are in good health and have a good social life and get out frequently I suspect you don't start to feel old.

Another thread, another ageist.

I look after someone who is 100 yrs old and still going strong.

Maybe some people do think 60 is old though? How is that ageist? My mum thought most certainly thought she was old at 60 and would say it. I actually don’t think it’s old by the way but there’s nothing ageist about this thread.

You're a cheery soul . I'm 58 and living my best life and don't feel old at all , nor do I feel likely to kick the bucket anytime soon . Even young people drop dead so to me it's about ill health than years lived

I'm 46. I feel run down and middle age. But my mind feels like I'm 18.

Old i think it 78+

Its hard really because you could get someone in their 60s . Who seens much older and more frail tha an 80 year old.

I’m 60 next year! I’ve another 10 years work in me, plus I need to drive to get to said work (plus my keep fit, my choir, my volunteer role at the cat orphanage, my line dancing, my boogie bounce club and when I meet my pals for a drink (non alcoholic).
Excuse me for not downsizing from my fab 4 bedroom house with views of the Kent countryside, no way, they can carry me out of it in a wicker coffin first.

Right, that’s me off to do some housework, I’ll be listening to a bit of Insomnia and Robert Miles as I do this, reminds me of my clubbing days.

Old at (nearly) 60, nope, sorry to disappoint you.

Elderly is definitely a state of mind combined with health. And poverty. I'm heading towards my mid 50s and have met people not much older than me who are very much in the it's all downhill from here and I haven't got long to go mindset.

How old are you?

I was at the mall the other week and noticed that the department store does a seniors discount every Tuesday 15% off anything! The age for this discount a sprightly 55+ it's still a few years off for me but my husband has only 2 years to go!!
The recreation centre also starts senior programs at 55+

This all seems laughable to me.

I think old is 70+ (eg no longer middle aged) and elderly 85+ (both depending on person though).

Quite offensive remark. It's only funny if everyone laughs.

Why is it?
It's up to them how they live their lives. I just because it isn't the way you want to live doesn't make it wrong or nuts.
Why do younger people think they can dictate how their parents live as they get older?

With apologies to all the people who thought my comment was meant seriously, I was taking the pee - based on some of the trends MN seems to be experiencing of late - which @BaaCode clearly understood.

Maybe MN could be further improved by having a "sarcasm font" for such things.

I think of elderly as 80+, but I read something recently which said old age was 65 plus (seems older than middle aged but not old to me)