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AIBU?

Old folks dying of,,,,,,old age?

381 replies

MrsDeltaB · 26/09/2017 22:37

Whilst I appreciate there is a general outpouring of someone or the actor of a character that you may have grown up with.

Liz Dawn. Died at 77. Yes. Sad. To her family. But why the outpouring of grief to a person of elder generation who may or may not have simply died of old age?

I can't help but get cross when folks are 'gutted' 'devastated' about the death of an old person dying of, being old! "97 year old died of old age'

OP posts:
Nancy91 · 26/09/2017 22:38

You can't die of old age.

AfterSchoolWorry · 26/09/2017 22:40

She died of emphysema didn't she? Not old age.

I think it's sad. She was talented and funny and on TV for a long time. So people felt they 'knew' her. I didn't watch it but I can understand it.

Flowers

Bobbiepin · 26/09/2017 22:41

Bloody hell, you don't die of old age at 77! 97 yes maybe, and hopefully in 97 years you may have done something that may have had some sort of a positive impact on someone else, something that would make someone else sad you are dead.

Generally speaking when someone dies, it is sad.

RedForFilth · 26/09/2017 22:41

Old age isn't a cause of death. Getting cross about other people's sadness is pathetic at best imo.

DereksGotATail · 26/09/2017 22:41

I used to deal with death certificates when I worked in a Bank and one did actually say "old age" as the cause of death. I thought it was a lovely thing to die of, iyswim.

rubybleu · 26/09/2017 22:41

Nancy91 you can die of old age according to the British Medical Journal. Their currentagazine obituaries attribute death for two of their members to old age.

AfunaMbatata · 26/09/2017 22:41

77 isn't that old anymore

MaisieDotes · 26/09/2017 22:41

I don't think 77 is old enough to have "had a good innings" or whatever.

Iris65 · 26/09/2017 22:42

As people get older their bodies also age. Cells, tissues and organs all deteriorate and they will die - of old age.
Although of you really want to be precise the heart fails, or the lungs fail or some other vital organ fails - but the failure is due to aging.

RedForFilth · 26/09/2017 22:42

And 77 isn't even that old!

sadiemm2 · 26/09/2017 22:43

My mama does a lot of volunteering through her church, and supports a lot of elderly (she is 70..not at all old). She tells me that Miriam X has died, she was 94...its no age..... I have to laugh
Smile

Iris65 · 26/09/2017 22:43

*if

I don't regard any death (through natural causes) after 70 as tragic. We have bodies. They age. We die.

Pemba · 26/09/2017 22:43

BBC News says she had emphysema which was diagnosed in 2004. Could that be the cause of death?

My DM is the same age, and fairly healthy. Dying 'of old age' would mean for those in their 90s and above, wouldn't it? Although obviously the older you are the more likely you are to have health problems.









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PickAChew · 26/09/2017 22:44

No one dies of old age.

Whatever the age, there are people who will miss her, though I did find the fact that the same news articule, with tweaks, was on the 12:30 6 music news and the 9:30pm news rather odd. Surely it's not that quiet a news day?

Houseworkavoider · 26/09/2017 22:45

I can't help but get cross when folks are 'gutted' 'devastated' about the death of an old person dying of, being old! "97 year old died of old age'

You don't understand that people get upset about people dying?
Seriously? You think you just stop loving someone once they pass a certain age?

StereophonicallyChallenged · 26/09/2017 22:45

I know what you mean OP.
My very lovely ndn passed away yesterday aged 84. Whilst sad, and feeling more sad for the surviving spouse, we all know he is actually in a better place now (for want of a better phrase) as they are no longer suffering.
I think people don't think like that for famous people for some reason, but it's likely to be true for a lot of them Flowers

rightnowimpissed · 26/09/2017 22:45

The woman died people are aloud to be sad, if your mother or father died you’d be sad no mater what age they or you were.

CourageCamille · 26/09/2017 22:47

You can have just 'Old Age' on a death certificate, but only if you're 80 or over.

EveningShadows · 26/09/2017 22:48

of course someone dying is sad - just cos they're old doesn't make it not sad!

And they're not in a better place - they're dead! Shock

Oysterbabe · 26/09/2017 22:48

Did you know that you can still be sad when someone dies even if they are old?

Nancy91 · 26/09/2017 22:48

No you can't die of old age, it's a saying which means you died of one or more of the ailments that are common in old people who can't recover in the same way as young people. It's just nicer wording. Saying someone died of old age is the same as saying they died of being alive!

No matter what somebody dies of, people cannot control their emotions towards the death.

MrsDeltaB · 26/09/2017 22:49

Yup ok hands up I may have skew view. My father did die at 41 when I was 7. But sometimes yes, I do feel that as you/we/us get older we may or may not die I guess I struggle to deal with the death of anyone 70+ as being an unexpected shock. How old do we all expect to live for?

OP posts:
Fairylea · 26/09/2017 22:50

77 really isn't old anymore. My mum is 70 and she is still pottering about walking her dogs and doing her diy and shopping. My dad is 76 and still works full time as a chief executive! (He's a workaholic). Of course it depends on your health and so on but 70s are a time to enjoy retirement or whatever people want to do. Most healthy people in their 70s expect to live another 15 or 20 years or so now.

It's always sad when anyone loved dies, whatever age they were.

ILoveMillhousesDad · 26/09/2017 22:51

Wow 77 - old age pmsl. I a going to take a huge punt her and guess you're under 40 Grin

BenLui · 26/09/2017 22:51

I agree that 77 is not “old”.

Even if the person is properly old it doesn’t mean that we don’t miss them when they die, you still grieve for someone you love when they are no longer with you even if they were in their nineties.

Surely it’s not a particularly difficult concept?

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