Old age

Old age describes the period when people approach or surpass their life expectancy.

It is not a single, fixed biological stage. Instead, the age people call "old" changes based on culture and history. Because this stage involves many changes, scientists study it through different lenses. Gerontology is the medical study of the aging process itself. Geriatrics focuses on the specific diseases that affect older adults. Other fields include gerontechnology, which develops tools to support aging societies, and senior sport, which adapts physical activities for older people.

Defining old age is complex because different organizations use different rules. The United Nations considers old age to be 60 years or older. In many developed Western countries, age 65 is the benchmark for retirement and the transition to old age. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, the threshold can be as low as 50. In these developing nations, old age is often determined by a person's ability to make active contributions to society rather than just a number. This difference shows that age can be defined by chronological years or by functional ability.

Because people age at different rates, gerontologists often use sub-groups to describe the elderly. Many people in their 60s and 70s are considered "early old age" because they remain fit and active. Some individuals are even called "superagers" because they retain high levels of vitality and cognitive performance. One common way to group people is by decades: the young-old (60–69), the middle-old (70–79), and the very old (80+). Other scholars, such as Paul Higgs and Chris Gilleard, describe a "fourth age." They define this as a period of inactive and unhealthy aging.

History shows that the status of older adults has shifted over thousands of years. In Europe, the age threshold for old age has remained fairly consistent between 60 and 70 years for 3,000 years. During the early Middle Ages, from the 5th to the 10th centuries, old age often held a favorable status due to Christian attitudes. Many ancient cultures viewed elders as symbols of wisdom. Chinese culture emphasized supporting elderly family members through Confucianism. Slavic cultures associated white hair and beards with wisdom. In Greco-Roman cultures, older fathers maintained great influence over their children even into adulthood.

Despite the respect often given to elders, modern aging brings significant social challenges. In the United States, a 2023 national poll found that 37% of older adults aged 50 to 80 experienced loneliness. Additionally, 34% reported feeling socially isolated. To combat this, many nonprofit organizations in North America and the United Kingdom provide companionship. They do this through volunteer home visits, phone calls, letters, and group activities. Older adults also face risks of abuse and social issues like ageism, which is prejudice based on age.

Physical and mental changes also define the experience of aging. One notable change is "slowness of behavior." This refers to a correlation between advancing age and a slower reaction time or slower performance of mental and physical tasks. These marks of aging do not occur at the same time for everyone. A person might be considered old because of their biological state, their psychological state, or their social role, such as becoming a grandparent. Some people may experience significant mental or physical debilitation after age 80, while others remain highly capable.

We see the influence of aging in our legal and commercial systems every day. The term "senior citizen" was popularized around 1938 and is often used to show respect for people of senior rank. In many countries, reaching age 65 allows people to access pensions or medical benefits. This convention was influenced by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, who introduced a pension system in Germany in the late 19th century. In that system, the retirement age was 70, but people could receive pensions at 65. Today, businesses also use age for marketing, such as offering "senior discounts" to customers aged 55, 60, or 65.