Shorthand for 60 something

Of course we are elderly to other people, just not ourselves. One conversation with n power offering to babysit you if a power cut is scheduled is quite enough to make you feel ancient, never mind elderly. It took me a while to get their gist, but of course I told them my toy boy would look after me in the event of a power cut, and went back to haranguing them about the lack of billing.

My mother used to do a lot for her church. One day two teenagers came to the house and asked her to come to a coffee morning for OAPs. Mum said she would, and asked what job they wanted her to do, i.e. making coffee, sandwiches etc., or serving, or washing up. They said "no, you are one of the guests". At 60, mum was horrified to be lumped in with the oldies!

Well the road signs for 'Beware elderly crossing the road 'show two stooped stick figures with sticks ..says it all about the negative connotations of elderly .
I am 65 and constantly have to remind my daughters (had them late in life) that I am officially an Old Person.As I have been recently helping both move house ,in the case if DD1 this has included emptying the cellar of her new flat with about 15 years worth of rubbish and taking it and the concrete from the garden (chipped out by my 65 year old DH) to the tip (55 sacks so far) perhaps it's not surprising they see us as (relatively)young and healthy? Though we cannot keep up with them on our hill/cliff walks any longer we still enjoy family holidays while they climb mountains and we do hills.....They would be horrified to hear us described as elderley

Ha ha, Lewlew. My attitude precisely.

I like the term "twirlies", for those with bus passes that start at 9:30 trying to catch a bus at 09:00......"am I too early for this one?"

I think that caring about being referred to as old or older or a gran or whatever is ageist. It assumes that the terms are used negatively when, most of the time, they aren't. Media can, and often does, give wrong impressions. I don't think most people are negative about old (whatever old means) people.

Middle age, elderly, senior, whatever... it's should always be at least 10 years older than your age of the moment.

When I was a kid, people over retirement age could expect to live for another 10-15 years or thereabouts; now we are relatively young and I can reasonably expect to live well into my 80s (MIL in mid 80s still drives, looks about 50 (just starting to go grey!) and is very active). So difficult to judge. Like "vintage" but personally prefer "mature". Tease local supermarket because they don't ask me to prove my age!

In NZ, the Maori driver of a small tourist bus referred to me and my sister as 'elder ladies' which we took as a compliment, since it's an honorific description in NZ native culture. It seemed to us to be a world of difference from 'elderly ladies'. Unfortunately it isn't a title that would travel to our society where age does not confer status.

The state pension used to be referred to as "old age pension" and it used to be paid to women at 60 and men at 65. Now it has gone up, in my case I won't get my pension until I'm 66. Since I'm still working to support myself and paying taxes and NI like everyone else I don't wish to be described as old. I'm a working age adult as far as I'm concerned, until I eventually retire. I quite like Senior as a term, if there needs to be one.

Why do newspapers need to mention your age at all? I really don't think it is necessary most of the time

Yup I remember 30 years ago someone telling me that most of the surgery that is carried out is on those over 70. At the heart of this issue is agism I guess, because whatever term people come up with it acquires negative connotations in our own minds and those of others. We don't live in a society that values and respects age and experience. This despite the fact that we are the backbone of many voluntary organisations.

The hospital where my Dd is training as a medic has an age requirement of at least 85 years to be admitted to a geriatric ward. Even then, if you're spritely, you won't be admitted.

Having said which, most wards do have mainly older folk in them because that's the nature of life - the older we get, the poorer our health can get. When I spent ten days on an orthopaedic ward with a fractured leg, I was the youngest by miles, at 59! The lady next to me was 93 and so feisty, she was lovely.

Yep - I agree with you Nelliemoser gender specific is fine with me- but it might offend others - not sure how or why but it usually does nowadays

At 68 I would accept being described as an older woman, but not as "being elderly"
or "being a senior".
A better term would be "a senior woman." so that people know that it is an actual person they are referring to, not just a demographic statistic.

Perhaps my memory is not what it was (ok, my memory is not what it was) but the expression "senior citizen" used to be bandied about quite happily - this implied the person was 60+ so far as I was concerned - I don't understand the need nowadays to be so specific about age, grandchildren etc.

I'm 69 next month but anyone who dares to call me elderly will get a knuckle sandwich.

When my mother was in a nursing home, her dementia would often cause her to seriously believe she had bought the place!

I arrived one day to find her really happy that she'd been given the job of 'executive manager.' She told me all about how she would organise the staff and improve the catering, etc., etc. She finished off with, 'Not bad for 89, eh?'

When I pointed out she was 95, she said, 'I know that silly, but if I told them my age I wouldn't have got the job!'

I would go along with "older" - I am but elderly would be someone in their 80s!

A few years ago I spent a couple of weeks working with a group of local teachers in Sarawak. Chatting, as you do, about family life etc. one of the local teachers referred to me as a veteran mother. I rather like that, it suggests something heroic and battle hardened and after the week I've just been through, that's precisely how I feel!

My 92 year old grandmother was incensed to be put in a hospital ward full of old people!

In the world of old cars which DH happily occupies, there are veteran, vintage and post vintage thoroughbred cars. I'm technically a post vintage old nag as I'm definitely not a thoroughbred!

My cousin, only recently departed at 91 and still writing works of literary criticism to the end, was affronted when her friend referred to them both as "old ladies".
I think 60s are later middle aged these days and elderly is when you start to get a bit frail. Which seems to be 80s or even 90s for some lucky people.

Witzend I like that!

I remember when MIL had to go into hospital; she was about 84 but most indignant because they had put her on a ward with 'all the old ladies'.

I like 'vintage persons'.
Ageing like a good wine, mellow and fruity and wasted on the undiscerning. ;-)

We have friends whose sons have married ladies from Kenya and, when there, they are referred to-in their language-as old man and old woman. It is seen as a great compliment and defers to their experience and wisdom. As others have said here we are treated with disdain or made fun of, v little respect.
I would say that my own DDs and their DHs are v respectful to us and insist that the DGC are too-not that that stops lots of joshing-we all have good relationships and good fun together.