Old age

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle. Euphemisms and terms for older people include seniors — chiefly an American usage — or elderly. Some believe there to be prejudice against older people in Western cultures, which is one form of ageism.

Older people have limited regenerative abilities and are more prone to disease, syndromes, and sickness than other adults. For the biology of ageing, see Senescence. The medical study of the aging process is gerontology, and the study of diseases that afflict the elderly is geriatrics.

Definition

The boundary between middle age and old age cannot be defined exactly because it does not have the same meaning in all societies. In many parts of the world, people are considered old because of certain changes in their activities or social roles. Examples: people may be considered old when they become grandparents, or when they begin to do less or different work — retirement. In the United States and Europe, people are often considered old if they have lived a certain number of years.

Many Americans think of 65 as the beginning of old age because United States workers become eligible at this time to retire with full Social Security benefits at age 65. People in the 65-and-over age group are often called senior citizens. In 2003, the age at which an American citizen becomes eligible for full Social Security benefits began to increase gradually until it reaches 67 in 2027.

There are many stereotypes about elderly people, such as; the use of walking sticks, frequent doctor visits, and sleeping a lot. These can be seen however to be untrue and very judgmental, most old people are very capable of easy mobility and caring for themselves, however there are some illnesses that can be seen to come with old age.

Demographic changes

Worldwide, the number of people 65 or older is increasing faster than ever before. Most of this increase is occurring in developed countries. In the United States the percentage of people 65 or older increased from 4 percent in 1900 to about 13 percent in the late 1990s. In 1900, only about 3 million of the nation's citizens had reached 65. By 1998, the number of senior citizens had increased to about 34 million. Population experts estimate that more than 50 million Americans — about 17 percent of the population — will be 65 or older in 2020. The number of old people is growing around the world chiefly because more children reach adulthood.

Life expectancy

In most parts of the world, women live, on average, longer than men. In the United States in the late 1990s, life expectancy at birth was 80 years for women and 77 years for men. American women who were age 65 in the late 1990s could expect to live about 19 additional years. Men who were 65 could expect to live about 16 additional years.

See also

• Aging in Place
• Centenarian
• Elderly care
• Oldest people
• Pensioner
• Respect for the Aged Day
• Supercentenarian

External links

• AARP Global Aging Program
• International Federation on Aging