Definition of

Old age

Old man

Old age is known as third age.

Old age is the quality of old (someone of advanced age or something old and not new or recent). Old age refers to senescence or senile age . Although there is no exact age that can be considered the beginning of old age, it is usually said that a person is old when they exceed 70 years of life .

Before continuing with the analysis of the word old age, we are going to determine its etymological origin. Investigating we discovered that it is found in Latin and more specifically in the word vetus , which can be translated precisely as "old" .

About old age

Old age is also linked to the social category known as third age . Members of this group are typically retired (that is, they no longer work and are therefore not part of the economically active population) and, in many cases, have become grandparents .

October 1 is when the International Day of the Third Age is celebrated around the world, a state that has worried and sparked comments from the most lucid thinkers of each era for centuries. Thus, for example, we find the fact that the famous Greek philosopher Plato showed his uncertainty and "fear" of reaching that stage in one of his most important publications: "The Republic" .

Couple

Currently, the goal is to ensure that people can remain active in old age.

Quality of life in the elderly

The low birth rate and the improvement in life expectancy in many countries has caused the elderly population group to grow. Society , therefore, faces the challenge of continuing to offer opportunities to people in old age.

Older adults, by not working, need support from the State to enjoy a good quality of life. In underdeveloped nations, such support is precarious and that is why old age is usually synonymous with hardship. We must not forget that with old age, diseases and physical disorders such as osteoarthritis , osteoporosis and Alzheimer's disease appear.

Suggestions for facing old age

The elderly often find themselves faced with a reality that they do not like, that oppresses them and that affects them psychologically. And when they reach old age, they must face the fact that they lose the role they played in society because they stop working, that they do not have the same physical and mental qualities that they had when they were young, and that they may find themselves a little disoriented. when facing that present.

This means that the notion of old age is also used to name the ailments and attitudes typical of the age of the elderly. For example: "I forgot where I kept the keys: it must be old age," "Today my back hurts a lot and I can barely walk, but I'm not complaining... these are normal things about old age."

For all this, it is necessary that you pay attention to a series of simple but very useful tips to face this new life stage. Among the most important are the following: accept the changes of all kinds that are experienced, find activities in which you can interact with other people and feel useful, enjoy all those experiences that you have always wanted to do but had never done...