Senior?

This weekend I read in the newspaper that there was going to be a Life Expo for Seniors and Boomers. The question again what is senior? When I was working in the field of aging we spent a lot of time talking about this. It didn't matter so much to us as the people we served, A lot of people do not like being called senior.

Senior Centers are not used to their potential because they are for seniors and I know that is not me. People tend think seniors centers are for frail old people. Old is another word we don't like. There has been an ongoing debate in the senior center field as to whether the name should be changed to attract more people. Many people in the field are against this because it serves seniors. It is very clear who it serves. It is a very good place to aid with successful aging. It is wonderful place to increase social network but is probably under utilized because of the name.

A long time ago a lot of people in the field of aging including me decided numerical age really had little do with anything. It had a lot more to do with health and activity level. so someone coined the grouping of seniors whatever age into the go goes, the slow goess and the no goes and this is exactly how services are planned.

So are you a Boomer or a senior? What should we be called? It is a very fuzzy subject in the 21st century.