Old, elderly, ancient, baluarte or velha guarda: reflections and life experiences

Abstract

The objective of this article was to carry out a reflection on several aspects that affect the life of the elderly and that could be improved, as well as to present what has already started as a movement to reduce this problem, but which is still far from being ideal in some countries, as there is a lot of discrimination and stereotypes created, such as being dependent on care, physical and often mental decay, which can often be considered unproductive. Old or elderly are terms that refer to the generic concepts of ageism, ageism or ageism which, in turn, refer to discrimination or prejudice based on people's age. However, each of the terms (old or elderly) or titles (ancient, bulwark and old guard) are used by a culture, tribe, social group or community, with common interests, but all refer to one issue: you can only get old more advanced and not necessarily all are negative. There is still much to be done to improve the quality of life of this important part of the population, as well as opportunities and reduce social discrimination. However, if someone says that you are too old for such a thing, answer: do not put your time limit on my dreams.