The way people who are elderly are spoken about is often insulting and needs to change, Terry Prone has argued. 

The Communication Clinic chair and host of the Grey Matters podcast host has urged people to stop and think about the words they use when talking about people who are older. 

Speaking on The Claire Byrne Show, Ms Prone recalled one recent incident that stood out to her. 

“I do tours of my home, which is a Martello Tower during the summer,” she explained. 

“Last year, I did this tour and afterwards, a woman who led the tour posted up a whole load of stuff, pictures, everything.

“In the middle of it, she said, and the tour ably conducted by Terry Prone, who is much smaller and more fragile than you would think. 

“I stood there and I realised this was not meant to be offensive, it was purely observational.” 

Three retired women sit on a bench. Picture by: Cum Okolo / Alamy Stock Photo.

Ms Prone said she did not consider this a “compliment” and noted that people in their 60s and 70s are much more empowered than they were in previous generations. 

“It's totally different now, thanks be to God for most older people,” she said. 

“But the language hasn't come along with it.” 

There are, Ms Prone added, some words which are only ever used to describe older people. 

“I do not like being called feisty,” she continued. 

“I was argumentative in media when I was 16, which is 60 years ago, I'm argumentative in media now.

“When did somebody decide that because I'm an older person, that means feisty?”

A retired woman getting a cup of tea. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Ms Prone also takes issue with the use of the word ‘still’ when people ask her questions. 

“Every day I get the ‘still’ question,” she said.

“‘Are you still working?’ What would you like me to be doing?

“The thing about old age is that up to a point, you're grand. 

“Then suddenly it's like falling downstairs and everybody is describing you as fragile.”

Main image: Terry Prone.