Over 10,000 Americans turn 65 everyday. A rate that will continue through 2027. That’s 4.18 million people reaching retirement age this year alone. Senior, elder, retiree, can one name fit all? In fact, Senior? Elder? Older? Does the name fit? When considering accessibility for this demographic, it’s important to think about things like respect and relatability. The key question remains: Senior? Elder? Older? Does the name fit?
In a recent Atlantic article “When does somebody become old?” Joe Pinsker notes that it’s surprisingly hard to find a good term for people in late life. Senior? Elder? Older? Does the name fit? This question continues to spark debate. Additionally, Senior? Elder? Older? Does the name fit? remains an ongoing point of discussion among experts.
“Older adults now have the most diverse life experiences of any age group,” Ina Jaffe, a reporter at NPR who covers aging, told Joe Pinsker in an email. “Some are working, some are retired, some are hitting the gym every day, others suffer with chronic disabilities. Some are traveling around the world, some are raising their grandchildren, and they represent as many as three different generations. There’s no one term that can conjure up that variety.”
Senior. Elder. Retiree. Can one name really fit all over 65?
Joe Pinsker’s article expands on a question AgePros raised in a previous post, What’s in a name? what do you call a group when age is really just a number not a predictor. And he runs through them all. Senior. Elder. Geriatric. Aging. Perennial. Well, you name it. Additionally, Senior? Elder? Older? Does the name fit? This often leads to further reflection on labels.
- Senior: somehow makes people feel different and somehow lesser
- Elderly: problem here is most older adults just don’t relate
- Geriatric: precise but clinical
- Retiree: doesn’t apply to someone who is still working or may never have worked
- Aging: kind of vague. Doesn’t everyone age?
- Sages: like golden years these phrases have a whiff of ageism about them.
Why is it so hard to find the right term?
Elana Buch, an anthropologist at the University of Iowa, said in an email to the author of the Atlantic article:
“I’d argue that the reason there isn’t consensus about a preferred term has everything to do with ageism rather than that the terms themselves are problematic,” “As long as being ‘old’ is something to avoid at all costs (literally, ‘anti-aging’ is a multibillion-dollar industry), people will want to avoid being identified as such.”
So where does that leave us? Some experts prefer age related terms such as “over 75” or people in their 70’s or 80’s. Whilst terms like third age or perennials just haven’t made it into the mainstream. Senior? Elder? Older? Does the name fit? Clearly, choosing terminology is not straightforward. In conclusion, Senior? Elder? Older? Does the name fit? is central to the conversation about how we describe aging populations.
That brings us right back to the term older adult or older people. Names that are really more of a descriptive phrase than a category. And a phrase that’s been making it’s way into popular culture. Unitl of course we come up with something better.
Have a better idea? Want to weigh in on the discussion or react to the articles? Email us at info@agepros.net.
