A few considerations.
What type of surfaces will you be riding on? If you'll be riding solely on paved roads and paths, I recommend that you not look at a suspension fork and stick with a solid fork. Suspension forks are heavy and can actually sap strength making the bike a bit less efficient. They also add cost. If you'll be on unpaved paths, then a suspension fork may make sense.
You didn't define 'old and decrepit'. Not every road bike requires an extreme bent over position and even if you add a stem riser and a longer steeper stem for current comfort, as you progress, they can be tweaked as you become more flexible. I have both a hybrid and a few road bikes and stretching out on my road bike actually helps my back most days. BTW...I'm 71 so I'm old and on my way to decrepit. In short, don't be scared of a well fitting road bike.
Also think about your needs in a few years. If you plan on riding solely for exercise, commuting or hitting local coffee shops and parks, a hybrid is perfect. If you're someday going to join a club and do group rides, you may need/want a road bike to keep up. Yes, there are those who will disagree and will tell you that they do group rides on a hybrid and keep up regardless of speed, but you'll find that on club group rides, most if not all ride road bikes. I'm sure that there are riders who can do well over 20 mph on their hybrid but personally, I couldn't do that if my bike and I were dropped from a plane and I was wearing a backpack full of cement. If you're okay buying another bike later on, no problem. I started with a hybrid thinking that it was a do all 'jack of all trades', got hooked, and now have a modest stable of bikes. Bikes are tools and different jobs (rides) require different tools (bikes).
I agree with the responses that you've received who said that you'll generally find equal quality if you look at established brands. The best advice is to test ride as many brands as possible and see which feels best to you. Different brands will have slight variations in geometry and feel. Just don't worry about the saddle or grips as they can easily be swapped out.
These are just my thoughts. Good luck.