Old age

For the song Old Age by Nirvana, see With the Lights Out.

A smiling old man from Tajikistan

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 seniors (American usage), Senior Citizens (British usage), or the elderly. As occurs with almost any definable group of humanity, some people will hold a prejudice against others — in this case, against old people. This is one form of ageism.

Old 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

Old Woman Dozing by Nicolaes Maes (1656). Royal Museums of Fine Arts, Brussels

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 North America and Europe, people are often considered old if they have lived a certain number of years.

In the USA, the United Kingdom, and many other countries, the age of 65 is often considered the beginning of old age because, until recently, United States and British people became eligible to retire at this age with full Social Security benefits. In 2003, the age at which a US citizen became eligible for full Social Security benefits began to increase gradually, and will continue to do so until it reaches 67 in 2027. Currently, it is 66.

Physical changes

There is often a general physical decline, and people become less active. Old age can cause, amongst other things:

• wrinkles and liver spots on the skin
• change of hair color to gray or white
• hair loss
• lessened hearing
• worse eyesight
• slower reaction times and agility
• reduced ability to think clearly
• difficulty recalling memories
• lessening or cessation of sex, sometimes because of physical symptoms such as erectile dysfunction in men, but often simply a decline in libido
• greater susceptibility to bone diseases such as osteoarthritis.

Demographic changes

Population aged at least 65 years in 2005

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 proportion of people aged 65 or older increased from 4% in 1900 to about 12% in 2000. In 1900, only about 3 million of the nation's citizens had reached 65. By 2000, the number of senior citizens had increased to about 35 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, and increases in the provision and standards of health care.

Life expectancy

A gray-haired old woman from Great Britain

In most parts of the world, women live, on average, longer than men; even so, the disparities vary between 9 years or more in countries such as Sweden and the United States to no difference or higher life expectancy for men in countries such as Zimbabwe and Uganda. In the United States in the late 1990s, life expectancy at birth was 80 years for women and 77 years for men.

Elderly homeless man, Tokyo.

Individuals who became famous in old age

• Harry Bernstein, author who published his first book, The Invisible Wall, at 96 in 2007
• Jeanne Calment, oldest known person ever (122)
• Ann Nixon Cooper, who at age 106 made national news during the 2008 US presidential election for voting for Barack Obama. She was mentioned in Obama's victory speech.
• Granny D, political activist who ran for public office at the age of 94
• James Fisher, blacksmith who returned from retirement to become the first person over 100 years old to achieve the ACA accountancy qualification.
• Enrico Dandolo, who led the infamous Fourth Crusade in his 80s
• Sadie and Bessie Delany, civil rights activists
• Ruth Ellis, 101-year-old African-American LGBT activist
• Florence Holway, rape survivor and activist
• Johannes Heesters, Dutch-Austrian entertainer
• Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, Irish-American labor organizer
• Maggie Kuhn, activist and founder of the Gray Panthers
• Mae Laborde, actress who began acting in her 90s
• Grandma Moses, American folk artist
• Narses, who became a successful general at 74
• Peter Oakley, aka geriatric1927, British senior famous for his YouTube videos
• Clara Peller, Wendy's spokeswoman, famous for her "Where's the Beef?" catch-phrase
• Emily Perry, actress who played the role of Madge Allsop
• Mary Jane Rathbun, nurse and activist who was arrested for serving marijuana brownies to AIDS patients
• Malvina Reynolds, folk singer and political activist
• Olive Riley, blogger who started blogging at 107
• Arthur Winston, who at age 100 retired from his job working for the Los Angeles Metro after 72 years missing only one day, that being for his wife's funeral in 1988.

See also

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

External links

• International Federation on Aging — informs and promotes positive change for old people globally