Old Age

Old Age

Old age is the range of ages nearing and surpassing the life expectancy of human beings; it is the end of the human life cycle. Terms, some of them euphemisms, for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British for Old Age Pensioner), seniors, senior citizens (American), older adults (in the social sciences), and elders (many cultures).

Old people often have limited regenerative abilities and are more susceptible to disease, syndromes, injuries, and other illnesses than younger adults. Some disciplines and domains focus on the aging and the aged, such as the organic processes of aging (senescence), medical studies of the aging process (gerontology), diseases that afflict older adults (geriatrics), technology to support the aging society (gerontechnology), and leisure and sport activities adapted to older people (such as senior sport). The elderly face social problems related to retirement, loneliness, and ageism.

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

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

Most developed Western countries set the retirement age between 62 and 67; this is also generally considered to mark the transition from middle to old age. Having one's age within this range is commonly a requirement to become eligible for senior social programs. In non-Western nations, old age can begin as early as the mid-40s or as late as the 70s.

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

Gerontologists have recognized that people experience very different conditions as they approach old age. In developed countries, many people in their 60s and 70s are still fit, active, and able to care for themselves. However, after 80, they generally become increasingly frail, a condition marked by serious mental and physical debilitation.

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+). Another study's sub-grouping is young-old (65 to 74), middle-old (75 to 84), and oldest-old (85+). A third sub-grouping is young-old (65 to 74), old (74 to 84), and old-old (85+).Describing sub-groups in the 65+ population enables a more accurate portrayal of significant life changes.

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". Higgs and Gilleard describe the fourth age as "an arena of inactive, unhealthy, unproductive, and ultimately unsuccessful ageing".

Key Concepts in Social Gerontology lists four dimensions: chronological, biological, psychological, and social.  Wattis and Curran add a fifth dimension: developmental. 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. 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.

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