Seniors - Senior Citizens Services  - Directory
Senior Health Services, Senior Care and Support Services, Senior Information Services
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Who a senior person is cannot be defined exactly because it does not have the same meaning in all societies. In many parts of the world, people are considered old because of certain changes in their activities or social roles. For example, people may be considered old when they become grandparents or when they begin to do less or different work. In the United States and Europe, people are often considered old if they have lived a certain number of years.

Many Americans think of 65 as the beginning of old age because United States workers become eligible to retire with full Social Security benefits at age 65. People in the 65-and-over age group are often called senior citizens. In 2003, the age at which a person becomes eligible for full Social Security benefits began to increase gradually until it reaches 67 in 2027. In Western societies, everybody is declared to be "old" when they reach the ages of 45-50, and secure their pension entitlement.

There are many stereotypes about the elderly folk, such as; the use of walking sticks, frequent doctor visits, and sleeping a lot. These can be seen however to be untrue and very judgmental, most old people are very capable of easy mobility and caring for themselves, however there are some illnesses that can be seen to come with old age.

Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle. Euphemisms and terms for older people include seniors (Chiefly American) or elderly. Some believe there to be prejudice against older people in Western cultures, which is one form of ageism.