Do you consider 60 years old to be "elderly"?

[Left Is Write]

[jpgray]

1. I think 65 is the arbitrary cutoff for me

I still have trouble thinking of my grandfather as an old man, and he's 94!

[trof]

2. Not any more.

But, at 65, I AM a geezer.
;-)

[Left Is Write]

5. When I think of elderly, I think of someone's 80-year-old gramma.

60? Elderly?

And specifically, this woman:



Does she look elderly to you?

[trof]

7. She looks like a babe.

Nice.

[Left Is Write]

11. Unfortunately, she passed away.

She was the subject of a Cold Case Files episode today, and they kept referring to her as the "elderly victim."

[Tyler Durden]

57. I think she was the 60 year old.....

There were two victims: there was another who was 80. And she LOOKED it. This was the 60 year old one.

[jpgray]

8. Appearance doesn't really say anything

You can look like a stereotypical old gramma and still be youthful.

[Left Is Write]

10. But she doesn't look like a stereotypical gramma...

It's pretty easy to believe she was 60, but 60 doesn't even touch "elderly" in my book.

[jpgray]

13. It really depends on the person.

Straight hair, a tan and a youthful appearance don't amount to much. But they're something!

[Left Is Write]

16. I don't think *any* 60-year-old qualifies as elderly.

That's pretty much my point.

[jpgray]

23. So age alone determines who is elderly?

I think that's too simplistic.

[Left Is Write]

27. Well, that IS the definition of elderly.

[jpgray]

42. Not according to the OED

Of persons or of things quasi-personified: Somewhat old, verging towards old age.

Or:

Of or pertaining to one in later life.

Both these indicate a definition beyond a discrete age. "One in later life" is totally subjective, and has different meanings in every society. Based on your logic, a pure age system, "later in life" applied to average age would be around forty. Do we commonly describe those around forty as elderly? No, but some might meet that description.

[Left Is Write]

44. No, I don't think anyone at 40 meets the definition of "elderly."

"Elderly" relates to age.

Words have connotations as well as denotations. Going strictly by the definition of "in later life", that could be someone quite young who perhaps has a terminal disease in is technically late in his life.

Elderliness IS a function of age. I just don't happen to think that that age is 60.

[supernova]

3. No, I consider 60

to be the upper range of middle-aged. :-)

[LeftyFingerPop]

4. If I recall correctly:

The four stages of an old man are:

1) Duffer
2) Codger
3) Geezer
4) Coot

i don't think that 60 is even a duffer yet.

[In_The_Wind]

6. I hope you guys don't....

... because I'll be 59 in only 2 more months.
Where did all the time go?

[plcdude]

58. 60 for me

this December

[caty]

9. Since we are all living

longer and healthier lives, what was considered elderly has changed a lot. I think middle age is from 50-69 years old and elderly would be 70 and older. People today lead more active lifestyles than their counterpart fifty years ago. There was a time when turning forty put you in the middle age bracket, but now someone in their forties is still considered young.

[JVS]

12. Yes.

[NMDemDist2]

14. it depends on their general health

I've seen 90 year olds that make me look elderly at 52 :shrug:

and i've seen 40 year olds who look 100 due to ill health

[Orsino]

15. Sort of.

Many people are still vigorous at that age, though average life expectancy isn't a much bigger number.

[Random_Australian]

17. I consider 20 to be old. Stop wasting our hospital space, crumblies!

Bloody 20 year olds and all their fancy medical needs......





:rofl:

I jest.

[madrchsod]

18. yes i do

[pitohui]

19. i thought "elderly" was over 70 at least, 60 is just old nothin fancy old

"elderly" is a bit more than just being old in this neck of the woods

you can be old (depending on context) at 30 or 50 but you are never "elderly" until 70--my bff says you are not "elderly" until 80!

[Left Is Write]

28. I completely agree.

[Shine]

20. No way. Times have changed.

75 and up is "elderly" in my book.

[RedCappedBandit]

21. Nope

my father is beyond sixty, he looks like hes fifty. Also, I refuse to refer to him as elderly.

:(

:hi:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

22. depends on who it is.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

24. Not just no....but HELL NO!

This is mostly because I'm past that age already!

I'm 63....do I look old to you?

And except for the occasional twinge in my arthritic joints, I don't feel it either! :bounce: :bounce:

[Gormy Cuss]

25. At that age, neither Medicare nor Social Security benefits are paid to the nondisabled person.

Therefore, not elderly, no matter how many mailings a year they receive from AARP.

[cobalt1999]

26. well, considering no male on either side of my family has EVER lived beyond 70...

60 is elderly for me. That's why I'm retiring at 55.

[pink-o]

29. No, cuz Boomers are turning 60 and everyone knows we never grew up.

I'm 52, and thanx to great leaps forward in grey hair coverage, I don't look (or act) at all like my mother's generation did at my age.

When I was 28, I was totally neurotic about getting old, figuring I had to do all my living in the next 2 years cuz 30 was gonna be the Death Knell. Now, not-so-gently settled into middle-age, 28 year olds seem like little zygotes.

Ask me the perfect age, and I think between 40 and 45. Physically, you're still young enough to stave off old-age afflictions, but you're over the drama and no longer a slave to other's expectations.

What do you all think has been your best time of life so far?

[Nicole]

30. Yes, I do.

I know some 60 year olds who act & look younger than they are. However it doesn't change the fact that they are elderly.

[datasuspect]

31. hell no

[cmd]

32. When I'm too old to stand on the street corner holding a sign, I'll be elderly.

I'm 64 and I ain't done yet. Old, older; but not quite elderly.

[philosophie_en_rose]

33. An elder maybe, but not elder-ly.

The term "elderly" has the unfortunate implication of decayed. I know too many 60 year-olds to believe that that is true.

But it seems to be a matter of perspective. I'm 26. Twenty years ago, I would have thought 30 was ancient. :)

[Capn Sunshine]

34. I think modern medicine has moved "elderly" into the 85+ range

When I see wispy white haired people in homes in wheel chairs , that's elderly to me

[davsand]

41. That picture is TOO funny!

I had to call hubby over to see it!


:rofl:




Laura

[hyphenate]

35. Technically

it is, but since I'm so few years from it, I'm trying to stay younger than I really am.

[tigereye]

36. no, that's what my grandma used to call the "young senior citizens!"

but hell, my 82 year old father still windsurfs.

They can take that "elderly" label and stuff it!

I think so many older people over 65 are active today, that that kind of term should be reserved for well, people over 90! ;)

[otherlander]

37. Only if they start saying, "Back in my day..."

[A-Schwarzenegger]

38. EH?

[cmf]

39. We actually had a debate on this at my in-laws once

We said that anyone over 65 was a "senior citizen", but you had to be over 75 to be "elderly". :) I'm glad we came to a consensus.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

40. People live to 60?

:P :hide:

[FloridaJudy]

48. Then I'm a bloomin' miracle!

Medically, elders like me are divided into two categories: the "young" old (sixty to seventy-five) and the "old" old (seventy-five and up).

Then there's my sister's neighbor: she's eighty-something, and forever charging up the hill with various petitions for us to sign, or rounding up people to accompany her in hiking the Andes, or meditating in Tibet. I also know a 92 year old woman who regularly gets herself arrested demonstrating outside of the School of the Americas.

We grannies can rock, when we put our minds and hearts into it.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

49. Definitely.

My grandfather is 95, and my great-grandfather on the other side of the family lived to about the same age as well.

:hi:

[BlueStater]

43. Being old has a lot to do with the way you act, I think

I think of Fred Thompson as old because he looks old and acts old as well, coming across as a crotchety old grandfather. John Kerry isn't much younger than Fred but, at 63, he still doesn't come across to me as "old".

[Left Is Write]

45. But I'm not asking about "old." I'm asking about "elderly."

[AggieGal]

46. Yes and I want my discount for living this long.

That will be my motto when I hit 50.

[RedG1]

47. 66 here...

feel better now than I did at half my age...realize with maturity the "important things" that are a concern...

good sugar and blood pressure numbers...only meds are for sinus relief when pollen comes out...enjoy the 'senior discounts' too at stores and restaurants

[SOteric]

50. In my opinion, 'elderly' is a state of mind, not an age.

I've known people in their 60's, - and even one in her 80's whose appearance and behaviour were more youthful and vital than some I know in their 30's. And I've known some in their 20's whose attitudes, frumpy appearance and behaviours 'aged' them to the point where they seemed ready to retire to the casual observer.

[CatholicEdHead]

51. Nope, not before 85 at the earliest

[greatauntoftriplets]

52. Not at all.

As someone who is approaching her 58th birthday (August) I still consider myself fairly young.

I laugh when I go to the movies with my sister and her husband and they get senior-citzen prices, because they are so not!!!

That being said, I look forward to retirement. From a job that is extremely stress-filled and that I have come to despise. I am still searching out something to do in retirement to prevent boredom.

And my mother, who died a week short of 94, had all her faculties up until the end. She fought death, and I respect her for that.

[KitchenWitch]

53. I consider elderly to be 15 years older than my parents

[RedG1]

54. now this is elderly...

[RebelOne]

55. No, because I am 68 years young and

do not feel or look elderly. I am just happy to have lived this long.

[formerrepuke]

56. Well- this lady is going to be 70 years old this year..and she is NOT elderly:

[RebelOne]

62. And I thought I was the oldest DUer at 68.

[China_cat]

59. Not any more.

[LibDemAlways]

60. Hell, no. My parents are 84, and even they

don't look "elderly" thanks to Grecian formula and good health.

When one hits "elderly" depends on a combination of genetics, health, mental attitude, and luck. Some people become elderly sooner than others, but 60? No way.

[slj0101]

61. Not anymore

"Elderly" is a relative term, especially with the increase in overall health and life expectancies in recent years.

[skygazer]

63. Wow, people sure are afraid of getting old!

It's just a word. It doesn't mean you're fragile or sickly or ready to keel over - it simply means that you have more years behind you than you do ahead. Big deal. Happens to all of us.

We cloak all these words in mystery and innuendo and try to come up with new words that don't make us sound so "old." We are frigging old - I'm 46. I feel great, I'm in decent shape, I have reasonable health. I'm not a "girl," I'm not young - I'm middle-aged. So what? I don't get offended when people call me "ma'am." It's a term of respect.

We're so terrified of getting old that we have no respect for the people in our society who ARE old or elderly or whatever you want to call it. "Senior citizens" - now there's a stupid phrase. Skating around the reality.

I'm middle-aged. When I hit about 60 or 65, I'll be considered elderly. It simply means that I'm old. It IS old and it's not something to be ashamed of. Hell, it's something to be proud of. I never thought I'd live past 30, frankly.

[Taverner]

64. The word 'elderly' evokes an image

An old woman or man, back curved, hobbling along with a walker.

An 80 year old man or woman playing tennis just doesn't seem elderly to me.

[terrya]

65. I'm 9 years away from 60. Obviously not

[ellie]

66. Not at all.

I think any age above 95 is elderly. I was on the north rim of the Grand Canyon five years ago, and this man drove up in his older Jeep, jumped out with his youngish girlfriend, and asked me to take their picture. It turns out he was 85 and as spry as can be. 85! I'm 42 and it hurts to walk down the stairs sometimes. As long as you have your wits about you and can move around, I think age is just a mindset.

[Arkansas Granny]

67. Being 60 myself I can tell you that I don't feel elderly and I'm told

that I don't look or act elderly. People in my family live into their 80's and 90's on a regular basis, so I'm not considered elderly by other family members. I truly think that elderly is more a state of mind and body instead of just the number of years you have racked up.

[Burma Jones]

68. Not since I turned 40.......