Senior Citizens Sane Or Senile?
The Modern Rationalist|January 2017

“Crabbed age and youth cannot live together; 

Youth is full of pleasance, age is full of care; 

Youth like summer morn, age like winter weather; 

Youth like summer brave, age like winter bare.”

- Shakespeare in “Passionate Pilgrim”

S. Rajaratnam
Senior Citizens Sane Or Senile?

An age, which exceeds a normal life expectancy of human being in the life circle, is normally known as old age. The aged adults are more acceptable by the appellation as senior citizens. The organic process of ageing is senescence and medical study of ageing process is gerontology, while medical treatment for them is known as geriatrics. The elders besides physical also have social issues like retirement, loneliness and other psychological aspects of ageing. There is a growing interest as to the need for keeping the elders,who become frail and the infirm in some comfort before death overtakes them. United Nations held a special convention for protection of the aged persons.

When does a person become old?

Life circle consists of youth, middle age and old age. Middle age stretches with improvement of health and life expectation. United Nations has agreed 60 plus as old age, so does the Income Tax Department in India for concessions for senior citizens with another category of super seniors, who are 80 and above treated even more liberally. World Health Organisation, however, set 50 as the beginning of the old age for purposes of retirement. Different ages 55, 58, 60, 62 and 65 are variously accepted. There are countries, where the age of retirement is as late as 70 and it is recognised that it is only after 75, the aged become increasingly frail with mental and physical debilitation.

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