According to the National Library of Medicine, clinically, anyone over the age of 65 is considered elderly. This is the age many “elders” qualify for certain things like Medicare (and also special discount pricing—woohoo!).
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2060, one in four Americans will be 65 or older.
What age comes to mind when someone says “elderly”? Do you think of a person in their 60s? 70s? 80s? 90s? After you vote in the poll below, please leave a comment if a specific age comes to mind. And remember, age is but a number…
Elderly is a moving number. It’s always 10 years older than I am.
If you question people of all ages, you will find their definition of “elderly,” is anyone at least 20 years older than them.
I don’t think of myself as elderly…but others think I am at 82!
Depends on the person. Some at 60 are looking and acting old. Others are going strong at 80. I am 72 and starting to feel old but I may hold out for a while. 🤔
Yep!!
Not a reliable survey. Many, if not most of the readers here are of “advanced age” and are hesitant to admit they might be elderly. My definition of elderly is attaining an age where one’s body is more likely than younger people’s bodies to start experiencing potentially fatal conditions, meaning the likelihood of heart attack, stroke, cancer, etc. my take on statistical information puts that age around 60.
Elderly are those people that are at least 10 years older than me.
😁 made me smile. Thanks
I couldn’t vote because it’s not age. It’s a state of mind and body.
It’s arbitrary. Personally my age started to be felt at age 70. Still up and going but not as strong
Age is really a number. There are people at 55 who look and feel elderly, either from health issues or not having an active life. There are others at 80 who are like energizer bunnies and keep going.
I agree with Claudia it has nothing to do with age. Age is just a number.
Depends on health and state of mind, not a set age range.
Just before we moved to a 55-plus active adult apartment complex, I saw a t-shirt that said, “It feels weird to be the same age as old people.” My brain still thinks I’m 25, but when I look in the mirror…
I have that shirt and wear it proudly.
Each year that I age, “elderly” becomes more distant. In my 20’s, 40 seemed old. now in my late 60’s, 80 seems older and 90 seems elderly.
Different for every person.
I’ve always said that you are only as old as you act. Wanna feel a few years younger? Go do something that appears a little childish. I recently bought a pair of shoes that fit just right but have bright red laces. I tought I would just swap out those laces for a more normal color. I’m still wearing the red laces.
Old is 10 years older than me.
Yes!
Like Your Thinking!!
Exactly right, James.
It is not that simple. You need to consider mental age and physical age.
I keep the attitude of Toby Keith’s song, ‘Don’t Let The Old Man In’. In his song he says, “Ask yourself how old you’d be if you didn’t know the day you were born'”. I’m gaining on 73 but overall feel like mid-50s. Sometimes that ‘old man’ comes up and touches my shoulders or my knees or my back and reminds me that I really am 70+. And I see reality in the mirror.
A Great Attitude!!
At 16 I probably said 40 at 40 I probably said 60. Now, at 76 I’m thinking maybe 90. My DNA says I’ll make it to 110…pacing myself. As long as I’m not a burden, I’m not old!
I’m elderly, not old. Elderly is when I can no longer physically compete with the young snots. Old is when I no longer care about it.
It’s all you act as you get up in years. My answer is, “I may be growing old, but that doesn’t mean I have to act my age”. I’m 74, pushing 35. I have friends younger than I am, but constantly complain about getting old.
When someone says “act your age, I don’t know how because I’ve never been this old before. Lol
Elderly vs. senior. Elderly refers to a level of mental and physical ability – not an age. My grandmother and mother-in-law each lived to 100. Their mental capacity did not decline until their mid-90’s along with their physical capacity. Stay as active and fit – both mentally and physically – as is possible in hopes you too will not become “Elderly” until well past 90.
My birth certificate says 77 as of 10-16 this year, my mind says about 40, with about 37 years experience! Can I get a witness? LOL
Yep, I’m your witness! I’m 76 and certainly do not feel “elderly”; well, at least not most of the time. LOL
I feel the person themself determines whether he or she is elderly!
If you have a 1% or less chance of dying within the next year, you are middle aged.
If you have a 2% or more chance of dying in the next year, you’re considered to be old.
Someone with a 4% or more chance of mortality within a year is defined as elderly or very old.
I am 80, I don’t look, feel, or act 80. My wife constantly gets on me because I forget to ask for the senior discount.
A friend that we see weekly has a hat thats says ” don’t forget my senior discount. ”
Otherwise we wouldn’t
My mother is aged 92+ and walks her dog twice daily for a total of one mile. She cooks, cleans, bathes, does laundry, and drives to pay her water and electric bills each month. I think she is elderly, but still far from feeble. At age 66 I do manual labor. You’re as old as you let yourself become.
I will turn 78 next month and get a pace maker tomorrow.
My doctor says parts are wearing out.
I feel great except I have shortness of breath walking up hills. I live on the side of a hill
Sad to report but it seems that most of my lifelong friends are getting up there.
It’s not the age, it’s the mileage
Maybe how the mileage was put on!
Comedian Steven Wright was chatting up a girl at a bar. Subject came up about death.He said I know when I’m going to die. She said thats impossible. How do you know. He replied, my birth certificate has an expiration date
At 87 my philosophy is: ‘Don’t Let The Old Man In’! Once you surrender to the recliner and Tv all day – you are finished with life. The only time I feel elderly is when I get down on the ground and have difficulty getting up – but I roll over and remind myself: ‘Don’t Let The Old Man In’, as written by Toby Keith and from the movie starring Clint Eastwood! (I did age a bit on 27 Oct when I fell flat on my back and head on the ice with the first early, out of season snowfall.)
Wow, D! I’m glad you didn’t break anything! Have a great day, and take care. 🤗 –Diane
Find yourself a good massage therapist AND a Chiropractor to help with that fall on your back.
As I get older, the further being elderly gets
The older I get the larger that number becomes!
I like this concept. I’m 84 1/2 and I think “age” is just a number
5 years older than me.
I have a neighbor who is 99, active and bright, and lives by himself. He is still haying his property with his own equipment. He says “I can’t believe I am this old!” I would say that he is not elderly yet.
I don’t think I will ever be elderly, UNLESS there is a Gov’t benefit in saying so.
I said 80 since I won’t be there for 4 years. I hit 76 in two weeks.
Worked in a nursing home and at a hospital. Some people really do have bad luck and health conditions caused them to age very fast. Some people lived very good lives, no excesses and very active and at 99 were healthier than some 40 year old patients. Everyday is a gift, enjoy every minute…
I think it is more a matter of attitude than age.
I’m 85 and I don’t feel like I’m elderly yet so I selected 90. Hahaha!
I’m currently at 76, retired at 60. Been living a pretty good life considering heart surgery at 71. Granted, I cannot do some of the things that I could and some things I do much slower, but I’m still on the right side of the sod. I do not feel old, much less elderly. So I guess it’s really a personal view.
Remember as a teenager…. not trusting anyone over 30. Cause they were “old”. 😆
I selected 90 just to get to the comment section. Many equate elderly with old. I eliminated old from my vocabulary. I have a debilitating disease called DIMINISHING YOUTH and I correct those who say old at least 5 times a week.
At 70 I am beginning to wonder why I am the same age as so many old people.
Ha! Or why those folks that are our chronological contemporaries are so much older than we are?🤣 Have a good afternoon/evening, Rodney. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com