There really isn’t a technical definition of the term senior citizen. This can make some things tricky, especially considering the fact that the U.S. government has different ages that it applies for different scenarios as people age.
For example, if you turn 62 in 2023, the “full retirement” age according to Social Security is age 67. You can claim full Medicare benefits at age 65. You are obligated to withdraw money from an IRA account at age 72, or you start to incur tax penalties. To qualify for membership in AARP, you only need to be 50.
Clearly, there’s no single agreed upon definition of the word “senior.”
But what does this mean for people looking for senior care? How old do you need to be to qualify for senior care?
Again, there’s no single definition. Instead of basing the need for senior care, it should be based on the circumstances that someone is up against. Someone with dementia or a physical challenge will be far more likely to require care than someone who has no physical or cognitive issues–regardless of age. “Senior care” is the term often used to describe this need, but maybe it’s not the most descriptive term we could use.
Take this as an example: the phrases “long term care” and “senior care” are often used interchangeably. In practice, there are some stipulations that need to be considered when it comes to insurance companies and coverage, but the application of long term care and senior care are almost identical. If someone that is 45 is suffering from early onset dementia requires memory care it is going to look almost identical to someone that is 85 years old requiring memory care.
There will be differences when it comes to family dynamics, of course. A 45 year old is much more likely to have family nearby. They are more likely to have older loved ones AND younger loved ones involved in their care. They’re more likely to still have a spouse or partner.
A lot of people don’t like the term “senior” because it denotes old age. My mom turned 70 this year and is still active. She works part-time teaching at a local college, goes for walks everyday, and goes out with friends several times a week. She doesn’t act like a senior, but age-wise, she qualifies as one. It only makes sense that she would not want to qualify as elderly.
But when it comes to senior care, everyone is going to be different. Someone might need intensive senior care at 60, while another person might be 80 and appear perfectly healthy. Everyone is different and because of this, everyone’s senior care should be approached differently.
In-home care could be the perfect solution to this. If you think in-home care can help you and your family, there are a lot of resources out there that can help. We’d like to be one of those resources. Give us a call or send us an email and we will be happy to answer your questions and help you determine which care approach is going to be the best for your unique situation.
Leave a Reply