Old Age

Old age, also called senescence ,  
in human beings, the final stage of the normal life span. 

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 old people include, old people (worldwide usage), seniors (American usage), senior citizens (British and American usage), older adults (in the social sciences), the elderly, and elders (in many cultures including the cultures of aboriginal people).

Old age cannot be defined exactly because it does not have the same meaning in all societies. In many indus­trial societies, people often consider that old age begins when a person reaches the ages of 60 or 65. This is be­cause in those countries these are the ages at which women and men can receive pensions paid by the state on their retirement from full-time employment. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, for exam­ple, men begin receiving state pensions at the age of 65. Women get pensions at 60. When people retire from work, they may also be eligible to receive extra pen­sions from schemes run by employers, or from a private pension fund to which they have made payments while working. See Pension. People in the 65-and-over age groups are often called senior citizens or pensioners.

However, in some societies people may be consid­ered old because they have grandchildren or grey hair. People's life expectancy (the average age to which peo­ple may be expected to live) varies from country to country. One hundred years ago, in Western countries, a person was considered old at 55. Today, the life ex­pectancy of a person in many industrial countries is over 70. This increase has been brought about by improve­ments in diet, hygiene, medicine, and public health and by medical discoveries, which continue to be made. In poor countries, with less advanced medical and welfare services, life expectancy is usually lower.

In many industrial nations, the number of old people in the community is growing. In Australia, only about 4 per cent of the population was over 65 in 1901. By the late 1980's, the proportion was 11 per cent.

In the late 1980's, in Ireland, about 11 per cent of the population were aged 60 to 74, and about 4 per cent were over 75. In the UK, the percentages were about 14 per cent in the 60-74 age group, and 7 per cent aged over 75. However, in India and Indonesia, there are fewer old people in the population. In the late 1980's, about 6 per cent of Indians and 5 per cent of Indone­sians were aged 60 to 74. Only 1 per cent in both coun­tries were over 75.

In Europe and North America, the percentage of peo­ple who are 65 and older has more than doubled since 1900. The number of individuals reaching 65 is growing chiefly because more children reach adulthood. New medical discoveries continually enable more and more people to live longer.

Women in the West, on average, live longer than men. One reason for this difference is that fewer women than men die from heart disease and cancer.

Attitudes toward old age

Aging  
Image of an elderly
Caucasian woman

Many people look forward to old age as a time of in­creased leisure and reduced responsibility. Old people with a high retirement income may look forward to pleasurable activities. They are eager to travel or to pur­sue other interests and activities after their children are grown and they themselves have retired. For those old people who live on small pensions, life may not offer such exciting possibilities. Their standard of living may fall, and they may dread growing old.

Many people expect old age to be worse than it turns out to be. The majority of old people consider them­selves active, alert, and open-minded. But they believe that most other elderly people do not have those char­acteristics.

In many countries, the long life and experience of the elderly give them a respected position in society. In modern industrial nations, however, many people do not regard the elderly as wiser or more knowledgeable. In all societies, old people are more respected if they control important resources, such as money or land. In industrial societies, where income from work is a major resource, retired people with lower incomes may lose status as their savings and earnings diminish.

People of all ages agree that the worst problems of old age are finances, health, loneliness, and personal safety. But old people themselves report that these problems are less common than the general public thinks they are.

In the West, a person's status in society often de­pends on his or her job. So when people retire, they often lose a certain amount of status. This is because re­tired people usually have lower incomes than working people. They may also feel unwanted.

This is less of a problem in the East. People in Asian countries, for example, tend to have closer family struc­tures than people in the West. In India, Japan, and other Asian countries, elderly people live in the homes of their adult family. An Asian extended family may contain several generations living in one home. The old people are respected as leaders of the community. However, in some other Asian countries, the old are seen as a bur­den on scarce resources, and little effort is made to care for them.

Ways of life of the elderly

Although the elderly spend much of their time doing the same things as younger people, they do have special needs, and often follow different ways of life.

On retirement, most people in industrial countries have a smaller income. They must therefore adjust to a changed way of life. They may have to give up luxuries such as holidays, and may spend less on clothes and en­tertainment outside the home.

Many old people welcome help and advice in facing retirement. They may welcome advice on how to take up new leisure and hobby interests. Many old people worry about their reduced income.

Increasing dependence on the state is a feature of growing old in many countries. In Australia, for exam­ple, more than 75 per cent of the elderly population are dependent on income from government pension.

Social isolation of the old can be a problem  especially in countries where children and grandchildren often live a long way from elderly relatives. In particular, many married women face widowhood in old age. Loneliness can be a serious problem for the elderly.

Physical and intellectual disabilities trouble the old more than the young. People over the age of 75 need more help and support from medical and welfare services. The elderly require a doctor's services more often as they age, and they may also need such services as meals on wheels and home nursing, or eventually permanent residential care for those who are to ill, frail, orll mentally confused, to look after themselves. Whereas in the East, care of the old is still regarded as a family responsibility, in many Western countries it is seen as at least partly a government responsibility.

Many old people continue to enjoy a  vigorous and full life into their 80's and beyond. They often take part in social, educational, sporting, and cultural activities with other people in their age-group. Senior citizens in some countries may benefit from cheap or free travel on public transport, and from reduced prices on tickets for theatres, concerts, and similar events.

The process of aging takes place at different rates. This explains why some people remain physical active and intellectually creative into advanced old age. The less fortunate may suffer from medical complaints particularly associated with aging, such as arthritis,  diseases, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Hearing, eyesight and digestion as well as memory may also be affected.

This decline in ability becomes more market in people over the age of 85. The number of people over 85 is increasing rapidly in both industrial and developing countries. In general, as the proportion of retire people grows, society must find ways to use the talent and energies of people who, though "old", may well have 25 or more years of active life before them.

Related articles: Aging, Life expectancy, Senility, Geriatrics, Nursing home, Pension, Medical and physical aspects.