Describe a really old person

So my story involved a Human Popsicle visiting a friend's wife as she is in the final stages of Alzheimer. She's supposed to be close to a hundred years old, but I'm drawing a blank trying to describe her. Can anyone help out?

Well, what kind of person do you want her to be? Are you trying to emphasize her weakness or brittleness? Her fading mind? Whatever aspects of an nonagenarian you chose to capitalize on will form her description.

I mean appearance-wise. She's had her last conscious moment years ago and isn't about to have one now. She's in a hospital bed hooked to so many machines.

Brittleness, I suppose.

I'm not looking for a description to use, just something, a few words to inspire me.

Ancient? Decrepit? Fragile?

"Her skin seemed almost translucent. Gnarled, twig-like fingers were curled over the edge of the blanket. Her cheek bones jutted out , hollowing her face. She slept but it was not peaceful—her mouth was slightly open, and her rasping breath was barely heard over the beep and stutter of the many machines. Tubes and wires snaked from under her blankets."

that's how i would start it.

Her excess skin sags over the musculature, the laundry draping the clothesline at the mercy of the wind.

edited 5th Oct '11 12:37:22 PM by QQQQQ

Find pictures of very old women and practice describing those pictures.

You could always go with the feelings evoked from the people looking at her. Like how looking at someone who's all but dead evokes feelings of mortality.

...

"Really old."

I mean, how she is described depends entirely on who is describing her. An adult with a creative streak might get purple, while a kid might settle for "some old lady" and leave it at that.

So, yeah, I think the "find pictures and practice describing them" idea is the best bet for you...