Definition of
an older or elderly person
Proposed
Working Definition of an Older Person in Africa for the MDS Project
Most developed world countries have accepted the chronological age
of 65 years as a definition of 'elderly' or older person, but like many
westernized concepts, this does not adapt well to the situation in Africa.
While this definition is somewhat arbitrary, it is many times associated with
the age at which one can begin to receive pension benefits. At the moment,
there is no United Nations standard numerical criterion, but the UN agreed
cutoff is 60+ years to refer to the older population.
Although there are commonly used definitions of old age, there is
no general agreement on the age at which a person becomes old. The common use
of a calendar age to mark the threshold of old age assumes equivalence with
biological age, yet at the same time, it is generally accepted that these two
are not necessarily synonymous.
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