How old is "elderly"?

[tonilea]

OMG, when did this happen? I was always "young". I am the "youngest" in my family. I am the fun one.

So all of a sudden it hit me: I am 51. So unless I live to be more than 102; I am past middle age?!

So, when do my nieces and nephews start referring to me as "my elderly aunt"?

It is a sliding scale. The older you get, the older OLD gets.

 

[alizesmom]

I feel young even at 54 but I'm seeing life go by thru the eyes of McDonald's drive thru:

20s: Have a nice day
30s: Have a nice day
40s: Have a nice day, maam
50s: Have a nice day, honey

What's next???

 

["Got Disney"]

Sounds like you are having the same crisis I am having. I was supposed to have my 50th bday this January. But at 49, I decided to start going backward...so now I am 48..next year I will be 47...well, you get the picture..

Did you not know that 50 is now the new 40 so you have 10 more years before you need to start counting backwards

 

[imsorry]

I think I need to start exercising more - I haven't worked in a year and I've been sitting around too much lately. In my head I still feel young, but the body is really giving me a hard time lately.

We are going to Disney with my DH's family next month and it is the first time in my life I feel like I will be the one who can't keep up with everyone. Our nephews are 17 and 8

 

[Chicago526]

Well, my father is 70 and he is not anyone's definition of elderly. My grandmother is 90 and she is definatly everyone's definition of elderly!

I think it's a combo of age, state of mind, and phyiscal condition, really.

 

[minnieandme]

I think the term elderly begins when you hit your 70's. I think the mid 50's and the 60's is when you become a senior. After all, that's when you can get discounts at certain grocery stores. Age is really just a number and you're as old as you feel.

 

[wilderness01]

I agree that it depends on the person. My mother was elderly even as a teen (and this comes from my uncles who knew her then). My dad didn't start to be elderly until he was in his 60s and had some health problems.

I tell my middle school students that I'm elderly and I'm 41 -- they seem to agree.

I agree.

 

[Mkaz]

My grandmother lived to be 102. She was as sharp as a tack, and could still walk up and down stairs until 6 months prior to her death. I think her mental status had a lot to do with her physical abilities. She had a hip replacement at age 90, and she didn't let it stop her. She always said she was going to live to 100 years old.

 

[Maraena]

I also agree that age is a state of mind. I've decided that while my body may age, my mind isn't going to do so. As a result, I'm happily 12 without all the hormonal imbalances.

So, when do my nieces and nephews start referring to me as "my elderly aunt"?

Sadly, most likely they're already referring to you as such. My godson (who is now 10) called me old when I was 29. He even took the time to point out that I was probably the oldest person he knew. For some odd reason, he thought his parents were teenagers and his grandparents were younger than me. Out of both his parents and grandparents, I was (and still am) the only one that still got ID'd for certain age-required purchases.

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

OMG, when did this happen? I was always "young". I am the "youngest" in my family. I am the fun one.

Same for me! However being the fun one changed when we had kids and suddenly dh became the fun one while I was stick as being the MOM and making sure of everyone's safety.

So all of a sudden it hit me: I am 51. So unless I live to be more than 102; I am past middle age?!

So, when do my nieces and nephews start referring to me as "my elderly aunt"?

I'll be turning 40, which isn't too bad in my family because I'm still the youngest, but 40!!!!!

 

[dejr_8]

I'm trying not to say this ...



For women it is sometime around 36




Sorry - with a straight line like "How old is elderly" I just couldn't pass it up.

"Women should marry when they are about eighteen years of age, and men at thirty; then they are in the prime of life, and the decline in the powers of both will coincide."

Aristotle:
from The Politics, c. 340 BCE

BTW: My wife is 39 and when she reads this I am trouble

 

[Chicago526]

I posted already, but what I should have said was...


36!

I say that because DH will be 36 in a few weeks and just got a letter from AARP asking him to sign up!

 

[Talking Hands]

OMG, when did this happen? I was always "young". I am the "youngest" in my family. I am the fun one.

So all of a sudden it hit me: I am 51. So unless I live to be more than 102; I am past middle age?!

So, when do my nieces and nephews start referring to me as "my elderly aunt"?

To me elederly is 20-30 years older than I am at the moment. So elderly to me would be 80-90 or older. I'm turning 60 mtmw.