The ICD provides a common language for recording, reporting and monitoring diseases. This allows the world to compare and share data in a consistent and standard way – between hospitals, regions and countries and over periods of time. It facilitates the collection and storage of data for analysis and evidence-based decision-making.

• ICD is not classifying “old age” as a disease. The relevant category serves quality control, serves to code unclear statements made by physicians on death certificates or medical records.
• The term “old age” had replaced “senility” in this ICD category that had been in place for 50 years, because “senility” had gotten a negative connotation over time.
• The ICD-11 proposal platform is open for everybody and the way to initiate improvements to ICD
• A proposal for an alternative to "old age" has been received on the ICD proposal platform
• A process is in place that will amend the terminology of ICD-11 to prevent future misunderstandings
• The scheduled 2022 update of ICD-11 will have the term “old age” used for indexing only. Indexing is necessary, because this term is used by physicians and coders need to be guided.
• The terminology change to “Ageing associated decline in intrinsic capacity”  is already visible at the maintenance browser.