By Any Other Name

FullLife staff

What's the proper term for the group of people over a certain age?  "Senior citizens" doesn't get used as much any more.  "Elderly"?  "Aging Americans"?  Columnist Jane Glenn Haas of The Orange County Register shares her thoughts here: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/senior-265904-elderly-old.html

The traditional labels pertaining to "seniors" are changing with cultural and societal shifts.  As life expectancies increase, the age when one is defined as "old" has to keep going up.  In the 2000 census, the U.S. Census Bureau defined "elderly" as those age 60 or older.  With the significant increase in the population joining that group over the past decade, that terminology will no doubt have to be revisited.

Phrases like "older adults" or "mature" have become more commonplace, although many simply refer to "seniors."  The classifications will continue to evolve.  If you're in this group, what do you prefer to be called?

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Comments (1)

Patrick Ward
Patrick Ward
I don't know about anyone else, but I have a problem with being considered a senior at age 60. I hope I have at least reached maturity, but senior? I don't know. I was reading that we usually consider "old" as being 15 years older than our current age. That sounds about right. We are certainly more active than our parents at 60 years of age. And few of us are thinking of retiring before 66 years. I mean, after all, who can afford to retire, especially with the cost of healthcare? Bottom line is call me anything but late for dinner. But if I have a choice, call me mature. It seems to have a positive "quality" element to it.
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