In contrast, a 2001 joint report by the U.S. The United Nations, for example, considers old age to be 60 years or older. Old age cannot be universally defined because it differs according to the context. However, in other countries and societies, old age can begin as early as the mid-40s or as late as one's 70s.

That age range is also usually a requirement for becoming eligible for senior social programs.

Most developed Western countries set the age of 60 to 65 for retirement, which generally marks the transition from middle to old age. Royal Museums of Fine Arts, Brusselsĭefinitions of old age include official definitions, sub-group definitions, and four dimensions as follows. Old Woman Dozing by Nicolaes Maes (1656). In 2011, the United Nations proposed a human rights convention that would specifically protect older persons. Old age is not a definite biological stage, as the chronological age denoted as 'old age' varies culturally and historically. The elderly also face other social issues around retirement, loneliness, and ageism. The organic process of ageing is called senescence, the medical study of the aging process is called gerontology, and the study of diseases that afflict the elderly is called geriatrics. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage which stands for Old Age Pensioner), seniors (American usage), senior citizens (American usage), older adults (in the social sciences ), and the elders (in many cultures-including the cultures of aboriginal people).Įlderly people often have limited regenerative abilities and are more susceptible to disease, syndromes, injuries and sickness than younger adults. Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. An elderly woman at a Ringing Cedars' settlement in Russia.

Old 60s fonts