When does one become "elderly?"

[lillypaddle]

Old can vary a lot, but I think that elderly is older than old. I'm almost 72, so I'm old, but I don't think of myself as elderly yet. What say you?

[unblock]

1. 5-10 years from now.

it's always 5-10 years from now.

unless discounts are involved. then it's me, me, me!!!

[RKP5637]

3. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lillypaddle]

6. aha! We've got a winner!

[50 Shades Of Blue]

7. ROFL!

[IADEMO2004]

14. Thank You !!

[emmaverybo]

32. Fabulous response. NT

[MuseRider]

57. Oh yeah!

LOL!

[RKP5637]

2. IMO it depends how you feel. I've seen/known people ages younger than me that really act

elderly and have an elderly mind set.

[trev]

4. At 64

I don't think I'm elderly, but my body is certainly deteriorating.

I do like the Senior discounts I get, though.

[Freddie]

5. 80 and up

When my parents went into assisted living, Mom was 79 and Dad was 86. Mom had a lot more mobility issues than Dad. One of the nurses told me they rarely had residents under 80.

[lillypaddle]

9. Honestly, I'm not gonna make it that long

So if I'm going to squeeze elderly in there, it probably better be soon.

[marybourg]

16. Yes. I read that average age for

single women to go into assisted living is 86. For single men, 82. But "elderly " is 65, whether we like it or not. Otherwise we'd still be middle-aged?? How does that make sense? Are we going to live 'til 130?

[emmaverybo]

34. Actually, late middle age is a term that has been coined based on responses to a poll in

Britain in which respondents didn’t by and large think of people in their sixties as elderly despite legal definitions.

[Laffy Kat]

35. Haven't you heard, 60 is the new 40!

In which case I'm a 42-year-old pup. Honestly, some days I still feel 20 and other days I feel my age.

[left-of-center2012]

8. You ARE elderly

Most developed world countries have accepted the chronological age of 65 years as a definition of 'elderly' or older person ...
World Health Organization

[lillypaddle]

10. Well, that wasn't very nice

[redstatebluegirl]

40. Bull Hockey!

I know some 65 year old people who work circles around some of the newbies at work.

[left-of-center2012]

41. they are still 'elderly'

[marybourg]

42. Clearly, the majority of seniors, at least here

On DU don’t buy it. So many of us will be dying in “late middle age”.

[left-of-center2012]

44. Or maybe ...

A 2nd childhood ?

[samnsara]

11. when you need assisatnce from others for daily care...

[samnsara]

12. im 69..pretty fit but i play the elderly card once innawhile :)

[emmaverybo]

36. Oh gosh, thought I was the only one. I adopt the look, the vocal mannerisms, verbal hesitancies

when I want a pass for missing an appointment, being my usual distracted self in a public situation
etc. Just happens. I can’t control it. I’ve been noticeably absent-minded since a child, but now
people get helpful.

[rampartc]

13. you will know it

I was the last to know.

[Freddie]

15. My dad fought "being old" FIERCELY

They were having trouble with meals and I told him the local Senior Center served an inexpensive hot lunch every day. “That’s for old people!” He was 85.

[SWBTATTReg]

17. Only when you start thinking you are...nt

[stopbush]

18. You become elderly when you start forgetting things that you never forgot before.

What was the question?

[skylucy]

19. My parents are 90 ad 92. My father refers to those of us in our 60's

as "you young people". You're almost 72? I keep changing what I consider middle aged. I've moved it up to age 70. So there...lillypaddle...You are officially middle aged.

[lillypaddle]

23. Hey, thanks

but I have a feeling the heart failure and COPD have moved me up closer to elderly than middle aged.

[dawg day]

20. 10 years older than I am at any given moment!

It was the same for "middle-aged". I never did get to be middle-aged, and I don't think I'll get to be elderly either!

[3Hotdogs]

21. I'm 76. I just finished a 5 mile hike in the woods today. 200 ft. climb.

I only fell down once because of slipping in the mud.

I put 45k miles on my car every year. I used to put 50k average but I am slowing down a bit. August is from N.J. to Georgia.

I drop my housemate off at the senior center. She is 71.

I don't go there. Them people are old.

[lillypaddle]

22. Good for you!

Tell me your secrets: did you smoke? drink? eat too much? or none of those things!

[3Hotdogs]

45. Good genes.

Smoking: marij., rarely.

Drinks: Average 2 or three beers every two or three weeks, when out with friends.

Overeating: Yes, I am about 30 lbs overweight. That happened when metabolism changed.



Genes: My father died at 84 after smoking 3 packs of unfiltered "Luckies" per day. Started at age 14. Throat cancer.

My mother passed at age 98. All of my relatives made their 80's. The youngest is 90 in September.

Genes: I didn't end up being too good looking and I was small and skinny as a kid. But, I'm still here.

[elleng]

24. Some OTHER time!!!

[lettucebe]

25. I'm going with the 90s

Once you reach 90, yeah, you are officially a member of the elderly club. Right now you are still a spring chicken!

[emmaverybo]

39. Kept trying to get mother at 90 to have "someone in" just a few days a week I'd tell her. She

would say archly, “don’t you think it’s a bit premature?”
For Gawd’s sake I cried out one night, “You are NINETY years old.”
She pursed her lips cutely and looked down her nose at me, “You’re getting rather long in the tooth yourself,” she said.
God, I miss her.
Now SHE was elderly. Me, I’m just getting a bit long in the tooth.

[katmondoo]

56. I'll be 90 in November, so I guess that qualifies me as Elderly

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. At least 10 years older than me. Whatever that is at any given time.

[woodsprite]

27. Apparently for me it was 37yo

Last edited Fri Jun 14, 2019, 06:31 PM - Edit history (1)

They had me labeled as “elderly” in the maternity ward 😏.

Truthfully, I like to think that whatever age I'm currently at is middle aged (that would be 56 this year) 😊

[Laffy Kat]

37. I know! I was 36 when my first was born and 40 with my second.

I was considered a high-risk, "geriatric" mother.

[3catwoman3]

58. I remember feeling highly indignant at the ...

...term “elderly primigravida” during my first pregnancy at age 38. I was 41 with my second.

Seriously, they need to come up with something better than that. There is “advanced maternal age,” which a little bit better, but not much.

Let’s hear it for what I call “mature mothers.”

[Kurt V.]

28. 57. According to the kids down the road i caught throwing rocks from the road into my yard.

They said "%#*& you old man"

[lillypaddle]

31. LOL nt

[roody]

29. I'm 65 and my grade school nieces and

their mom cannot keep up with me.

[VarryOn]

30. I prefer "senior citizen"...

"Elderly" connotes to me dimished physical (and possubly mental) abilities. As for age, I wouldnt consider anyone less than 75 to be elderly.

[FuzzyRabbit]

33. I'm 73, going on 16.

Anyone else feel like this?

[Doreen]

38. When you find yourself sitting with friends

one day and suddenly realize you are talking about your health problems and also realize you all do it every time you meet. It was 50 for me. Kind like a passage into elderism.

[3catwoman3]

59. I have a vow I try very hard to keep.

No “organ recitals.”

[Lulu KC]

43. It's beyond the beyond

64 is late morning, 65 is noon, then we move to early afternoon. Still ages until sunset comes.
80 used to sound old, but now it's just, oh, sunset. The night is still young.
Elderly is 95.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

46. I'm 70, clearly a senior citizen

but a very long way from elderly.

Elderly, to me, is less a function of age than of attitude, health, and interacting with the world. People are often shocked when I tell them how old I am, even though I think I pretty much look my age. But I don't act it, and I apparently have a liveliness they don't expect.

That said, I frequently ask for help in lifting or carrying something, and people are always happy to assist. Which is quite nice.

[Tracer]

47. I think "elderly" for me is going to happen next February!

That's when I turn 80.

Somebody please tell me how that happened?

[lillypaddle]

48. Yep, it happens all right! nt

[trof]

49. I dunno. I'm already 2.3 years past my 'sell by' date.

Average lifespan for a white male in my county is 75.5 years.
I'm 77.8 and livin' on borrowed time, I guess.

I did have three 'incidents'(?) where I could have easily bought the farm in my 20s, so I guess I'm REALLY lucky to still be on the green side of the turf.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

50. That number is based on life expectancy at birth.

Not how much longer you should live from now.

A quick check on the internet shows that you will probably live another 10 years.

Take good care of yourself!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

51. "Old" doesn't seem old any more.

I was looking at some old photos of my grandmother when she was my age, and she looked at least 20 years older than I do now. I think these days we are holding up better than people used to.

[doc03]

52. Ten years past your current age. nt

[lordsummerisle]

53. My dad told me not to grow old

...I should have listened to him.

[Frustratedlady]

54. I just got out of a nursing/rehab home for the second time in a year.

The first time, I kept telling my kids to "get me outta here, I don't belong!" When I was in rehab/skilled nursing, most of the people visited among themselves and we became friends. After that, I was put on the nursing home floor and most of the people sat and stared ahead at nothing...no comments...no response to human outreach at all.

This time, I was again in rehab after a broken ankle and went to the dining room one time! The room was full of non-verbal/reacting people and I asked to be served in my room. Three weeks later, I was dismissed to go home. Even the kids saw I didn't belong among those at that stage in their lives..

I'm over 80, but certainly not elderly. If I could stop breaking my body, I'd be 33 again. That's where my brain is stuck.

[Skittles]

55. always 15 years older than me

[trof]

60. 65

A local TV reporter referred to a 65 year old man as 'elderly', so I guess that's it.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

61. I'm 54 and I wear my mowhawk and dye

It a rainbow of colors. I definitely am not elderly. Most my freinds are younger than me. I find talking to people my age often aren't into what I like to do or talk about.