TIMES OF OUR LIVES: IN A MONOMYTHPreview
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ELDER

“Like it or not, the Elders of our WORLD are emotionally vulnerable. Most Elders have no idea they are being preyed upon.”

SOURCE: Unknown

Old age - Wikipedia

Old age is the range of ages for persons nearing and surpassing life expectancy.

People of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, seniors, senior citizens, or older adults.[1]

Old age is not a definite biological stage: the chronological age denoted as "old age" varies culturally and historically.[2]

Some disciplines and domains focus on the aging and the aged, such as the organic processes of aging (senescence),[3] medical studies of the aging process (gerontology),[4] diseases that afflict older adults (geriatrics),[5] technology to support the aging society (gerontechnology), and leisure and sport activities adapted to older people (such as senior sport).

Old people often have limited regenerative abilities and are more susceptible to illness and injury than younger adults.

They face social problems related to retirement, loneliness, and ageism.[6][7]

In 2011, the United Nations proposed a human-rights convention to protect old people.[8]

Definitions

Old Woman Dozing by Nicolaes Maes (1656). Royal Museums of Fine Arts, Brussels

Definitions of old age include official definitions, sub-group definitions, and four dimensions as follows.

Official definitions

Most developed Western countries set the retirement age around the age of 65; this is also generally considered to mark the transition from middle to old age.

Reaching this age is commonly a requirement to become eligible for senior social programs.[9]

In non-Western nations, old age can begin as early as the mid-40s or as late as the 70s, although the idea of 'old age' can rapidly shift around and group in parts of middle age into the definition. ^[10]

Old age cannot be universally defined because it is context-sensitive.

The United Nations, for example, considers old age to be 60 years or older.[11]

In contrast, a 2001 joint report by the U.S. National Institute on Aging and the World Health Organization [WHO] Regional Office for Africa set the beginning of old age in Sub-Saharan Africa at 50.[12]

This lower threshold stems primarily from a different way of thinking about old age in developing nations.

Unlike in the developed world, where chronological age determines retirement, societies in developing countries determine old age according to a person's ability to make active contributions to society.[13]

This number is also significantly affected by lower life expectancy throughout the developing world.

Sub-group definitions

Gerontologists have recognized that people experience very different conditions as they approach old age.

In developed countries, many people in their later 60s and 70s (frequently called “early old age”) are still fit, active, and able to care for themselves.[14]: 607 

However, after 80, they generally become increasingly frail, a condition marked by serious mental and physical debilitation.[15]

Therefore, rather than lumping together all people who have been defined as old, some gerontologists have recognized the diversity of old age by defining sub-groups. One study distinguishes the young-old (60 to 69), the middle-old (70 to 79), and the very old (80+).[16] Another study's sub-grouping is young-old (65 to 74), middle-old (75 to 84), and oldest-old (85+).[17] A third sub-grouping is young-old (65 to 74), old (74 to 84), and old-old (85+).[18] Describing sub-groups in the 65+ population enables a more accurate portrayal of significant life changes.[19]: 4 

Two British scholars, Paul Higgs and Chris Gilleard, have added a "fourth age" sub-group. In British English, the "third age" is "the period in life of active retirement, following middle age".[20] Higgs and Gilleard describe the fourth age as "an arena of inactive, unhealthy, unproductive, and ultimately unsuccessful ageing".[21]

Dimensions[edit]

Key Concepts in Social Gerontology lists four dimensions: chronological, biological, psychological, and social.[22]: 12–3  Wattis and Curran add a fifth dimension: developmental.[23] Chronological age may differ considerably from a person's functional age. The distinguishing marks of old age normally occur in all five senses at different times and at different rates for different people.[24] In addition to chronological age, people can be considered old because of the other dimensions of old age. For example, people may be considered old when they become grandparents or when they begin to do less or different work in retirement.[25]

Senior citizen[edit]

Senior citizen is a common euphemism for an old person used in American English, and sometimes in British English. It implies that the person being referred to is retired.[26][27][28][29] This in turn usually implies that the person is over the retirement age, which varies according to country. Synonyms include old age pensioner or pensioner in British English, and retiree and senior in American English. Some dictionaries describe widespread use of "senior citizen" for people over the age of 65.[30]

When defined in a legal context, senior citizen is often used for legal or policy-related reasons in determining who is eligible for certain benefits available to the age group.

It is used in general usage instead of traditional terms such as "old person", "old-age pensioner", or "elderly" as a courtesy and to signify continuing relevance of and respect for this population group as "citizens" of society, of senior "rank".[31]

The term was apparently coined in 1938 during a political campaign.[32] Famed caricaturist Al Hirschfeld claimed on several occasions that his father Isaac Hirschfeld invented the term "senior citizen".[33][34][35] It has come into widespread use in recent decades in legislation, commerce, and common speech. Especially in less formal contexts, it is often abbreviated as "senior(s)", which is also used as an adjective.

Age qualifications[edit]

The age of 65 has long been considered the benchmark for senior citizenship in numerous countries. This convention originated from Chancellor Otto von Bismarck's introduction of the pension system in Germany during the late 19th century. Bismarck's legislation set the retirement age at 70, with 65 as the age at which individuals could start receiving a pension. This age standard gradually gained acceptance in other nations and has since become deeply entrenched in public consciousness.[36]

The age which qualifies for senior citizen status varies widely. In governmental contexts, it is usually associated with an age at which pensions or medical benefits for the elderly become available. In commercial contexts, where it may serve as a marketing device to attract customers, the age is often significantly lower.[37]

In commerce, some businesses offer customers of a certain age a "senior discount". The age at which these discounts are available varies from 55, 60, 62 or 65 upwards, and other criteria may also apply. Sometimes a special "senior discount card" or other proof of age needs to be produced to show entitlement.

In the United States, the standard retirement age is currently 66 (gradually increasing to 67).[38] The AARP allows couples in which one spouse has reached the age of 50 to join, regardless of the age of the other spouse.

In Canada, the Old Age Security (OAS) pension is available at 65 (the Conservative government of Stephen Harper had planned to gradually increase the age of eligibility to 67, starting in the years 2023–2029, although the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau is considering leaving it at 65),[39] and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) as early as age 60.

Elder - Wikipedia

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