How long would you like to live?

I don't mind how long I live, rather that I can be reasonably fit and able to be independent till I fade off in my sleep with no pain or illness involved!!!

My grand-parents all lasted till early-mid 80's, parents late 80's ... mother still independent at 88 so might have a while to go yet.

Agreed, definitely quality over quantity. And for the second part of your post, this is one of the reasons I live in Switzerland where I will have the choice, when the time comes.

Only as long as I have all my marbles (or most of them) and am able now to look after myself.

I have seen far too much of dementia to want to live at all with that vile disease, or burden my children with the stress and worry of it. My mother died at 97 but TBH it would have been a lot kinder if she could have died several years previously. Despite very good care she had had zero quality of life for so long.

I used to think that I would like to live as long as possible, but now my mum, at the age of 88, has severe dementia. She is clearly not happy and the results of a lifetime of hard work are now paying for eye watering nursing home fees. She doesn't know that she has just become a great grandmother and she no longer recognises anyone. I now think that I would prefer to die younger, rather than end up in such an undignified and unhappy position. But then, I'm only 60 and have so many things that I want to do with my life, so I intend to keep active and independent for as long as possible.

My experience is similar to the last two posts. My mother lived until she was 95 but the last few years were not happy ones.

When she was about 90, we discovered her in a collapsed state and dialled 999. Of course, we had to but it wasn't the right thing to do. That would have been the kindest time for her to die.

She had dementia and we had to sell her house to pay for her care but she wasn't very happy in the home.

MOnica. Out of interest, do you look after your health well? Eat a variety of things? Drink, smoke etc in moderation? Try to minimise stress? Are religious? etc etc. Not take more medicines than you have to?
.
Or do you do none of that!

Soem sad stories on here.
Some of my family, the older living ones, are getting dementia.

I'm putting little bags of marbles away, just so I can find them when I need them. Now, where did I hide that last bag ?

Over this past year quite a few people I have known have died all of them 60/65 ish so it brings things into reality and makes you think of your own mortality much more I think,I have just passed 66 and both my parents died before they where 70 but my nanna lived until she was 96 and had been married 3 times.
I would like to see all my DCs & DGCs settled in their lives and be able to look after myself with no problems and not be a burden to anyone,so maybe another 20yrs would make me happy.

Your questions seem to be just for M0nica, obieone, so excuse me for butting in.

But I would like to say that sometimes it makes no blessed difference what you do. My parents could have answered yes to all your questions, and also went out walking every day, kept their minds ticking over, and were very happy and still in love after over 50 years together. It didn't stop my mum dying suddenly of a massive stroke at 73 (as had her mother before her, in her sixties), or my dad dying, again at 73, a fortnight after being diagnosed with cancer.

Though I suppose if they'd had an unhealthy lifestyle, they may have died even sooner, who knows?

Sorry, I think in my head I put you and M0nica together
More than happy for you or anyone else to answer.

Yes, I agree, I dont think it makes much difference sometimes.

I know someone who died of something rare[ish] and the post mortem person? said that she was always destined to die of it at some point.

It didnt matter that she was hugely active, not overweight etc.

I think it's worth mentioning that the article about living until age 115 does also say that people will still get the diseases and conditions associated with old age. We'll just have them for longer. Of course, there will be improvements in health care, but you get my point.

Crikey

In my experience it seems that people seem to know when they want to go and it is often only the medical professionals that are keeping them alive (I don't blame them for doing their job by the way!) Like most of us I think I will be happy to go when the quality of life deteriorates, regardless of actual age. As I am 70 next year I am considering a party while I can still dance the night away. Who knows I might have another when I am 80 though I think this is unlikely! I just hope that my body goes before my brain!

my one dread is having a long debilitating illness where i loose my independence. I hope i carry on living for many years yet as i enjoy life so much and when the time comes i really hope i just go and do not end up in a hospital or confined to indoors for a long time reliant on others for everything. You hear such terrible stories these days of the care services and it is a worry. I worked with elderly people for many years and always thought about how i would have liked my mum to be treated or myself when dealing with them and i am sure many carers are the same but there is always the one who isn't!!!