The Growing Importance of Legal Age in Determining the Status of the Elderly

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In recent decades a vast number of laws have been adopted which use various older chronological ages to distinguish old age from adulthood. Review of legislation and the related political processes suggests that legal definitions of the onset of old age and of special privileges or restraints related thereto continue to grow. Gerontologists need to understand more fully the historical roots and constitutional base for these laws. Since changes in legal definitions may actually change the gerontological population, and since the use of different chronological ages to define old age can cause confusion, practitioners need not only to keep abreast of new laws but continually to assess their consequences for the well-being of older people.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: