To be surprised that 65+ is deemed ‘elderly’

[Helfs]

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?

I think most people are stilling working in some capacity at 65 (even if part time). My parents are working full time running a business at 70 and are both well and healthy (Dad still running marathons). They are getting ready to retire now. My FIL retired at 75, MIL at 65 (she had a better pension). Post 75 seems old to me as that is when everyone seems to start getting health issues (even the previously very healthy people).

Did someone actually say a few posts ago that 45 is old?!

To me, elderly conjures up someone doddery, bent and with a stick, like the pic on the ‘priority’ seats on buses.

You can be old without being like that.
Your category probably changes once you ‘have a fall’ - rather than merely going arse over breakfast time, as my DF so elegantly used to put it.

Apparently not! In 2023 only 34% of those aged 65 were in any form of paid work

im surprised by this as I thought it would be much more

How many of you are / are referring to office based workers ?

How many >65
plumbers and carpenters and roofers and bin men do you see ?
what about the burnout rates in nurses and teachers ?

I'm 64, closer to 65, and have friends in their early 70s. I don't consider any of us "old".

My only health condition is gastritis and gallstones and I visit the doctor only to have a yearly medication review for omeprazole.

I think you can split age into three - up to 30 you’re young, 30-60 you’re middle aged (although a lot of 30 year olds are quite immature) and like it or not, 60-90 is the last third of your life and you are getting old. I’m a few years off that last bracket, and while I’m not feeling old, I’m also not feeling especially youthful anymore! Even my peers that have always been glam and who have a lot of treatments and Botox are starting to look like it takes a lot of work and they’re not entirely pulling it off. While I hope I’ll have another couple of decades of being fit and capable, I’m aware that old age is on the horizon. Both my parents, and my grandparents, were extremely fit and active until 75, then really went downhill health wise - and were both very frail by 82. Nothing to do with attitude or lifestyle, just luck and genes. Just make the most of your life. Don’t focus on the terminology!

What do you consider your friends in their seventies to be, if not old?

I agree with others - elderly is just a polite version of old. So I’m not sure how you consider people to be old but not elderly for 25 years!

See I’d be infinitely more offended at being called elderly than old!

Given that they are very active and fit, one of them far fitter and more active than I am, I don't really consider them anything other than the age they are. You wouldn't look at them and think, "there's an old person."

I don't really think of anyone being old until they are 80, unless they have health issues which age them.

I’m 60 and consider myself old as statistically it is. But I don’t consider old or elderly as pejorative descriptions it’s just a definition like teenager or baby. I’m fit and healthy enough todo what I want so don’t mind how I’m described. Maybe I’d feel differently if my hips were failing etc.

30-60 you’re middle aged No thirty can not be middle aged surely!

We are in our 50's we are not old, no such definition, it's middle aged until 65 though it's been proposed by whoever decides these things to push it to 70 for elderly.

@Isseywith3witchycats

See you at a rally! Snap (though not an American bike!)

Well a very fast google said uk life expectancy for men and women was between 78-80 years old.

So around 40 would be middle aged. I certainly don’t think 30 year olds are young people despite being one.

Old once in your 50’s and elderly at 65 plus. Because your retired why would a non elderly person be retired unless very rich. Its because you seen as needing the rest and harshly not much use to the working population rightly or wrongly.

@IloveAslan but you and your friends that you have described are not young or middle aged, so how would you describe yourself? And how do you think you’d be described by all the other age groups? Elderly is not an insult after all.

Defining 22-35 as “adults” implies that people over 36 aren’t adults… That’s ridiculous! And defining 45 as “old” is preposterous… especially as you’re nearly 30s… Normally it’s defining those over 45 as “old” is something teenagers do!

You do understand that old is a descriptor of age?

Your friends are old. They may be fitter than most forty year olds but that doesn't mean they are anything other than old. It's not a negative term, simply a descriptive one.

People are just terrified of being old aren't they? It's really quite bizarre the lengths we go to in order to kid ourselves.

I also find this amusing. No one ever thinks they’re middle aged and no one things they’re old! You’ve got to look at the whole population, not the very healthy 10% (or less). I’m in my 30s and I know I’m heading towards middle age!

I agree with you and many others on this thread… old and elderly don’t mean anything different to me in terms of age. Elderly tends to be used as a polite term for old.

Online dictionaries all seem to agree. I don’t know where this notion comes from that elderly means “very old” and is somewhat older than old?!

Exactly.

You are as old as you are. You are also as fit/active as you are. The two things are separate.

"Old" and "elderly" have negative connotations. But the words themselves just refer to a person's age.

Elderly sounds frail, which is why everyone thinks it’s 80 +

middle age is 35-50
50 is older adult
65+ elderly

I've just turned 70 and I'm neither elderly nor old. Okay, I'm in much better shape than most people my age, but still...

Just don't label me in any way that refers to my numerical age. Because it makes no sense. I'm fitter and in better shape than most women in their 40s. Last time I checked my biological age was 53...

I’m just dividing a 90 year old lifespan into three, and therefore 60-90 is the middle section of life, so why wouldn’t that be middle age…?? It’s the years when a lot of people get married and have children. It’s only a term. Hitting old age doesn’t mean you’re going to drop down dead immediately.

• sorry I quoted the wrong post!

60-90 is the middle section of life

If you're Methuselah maybe.