Not to want to live past my 80s

All things being equal I don't think I want to get to a stage where my body and mind has deteriorated to the point where I am wholly reliant on someone else. Whether that be at 40 or 94; I think it's about independence and presence of mind.

Care homes not card

See - it’s a vote winner. But when it’s debated ( as I’m 2015) it’s a no! Maybe many politicians ha e shared in card homes especially dementia ones ..

@VQ1970

Re: Assisted Dying in Guernsey.... A poll conducted on this Facebook page

www.facebook.com/assisteddyingguernsey/

received 1348 votes and showed the 87% of people were in favour of assisted dying and 71% strongly agreed with the idea.

A poll conducted on the Island FM Facebook page

www.facebook.com/islandfm/

received 1700 votes and showed that 92% of people were in favour of assisted dying.

Finally, a poll on the popular Facebook Group 'Guernsey People Have Your Say'

www.facebook.com/groups/372844639584626/

received 643 votes and also showed that 92% of people were in favour of assisted dying. I attach screenshots. So yes, polls have been conducted and yes the public is firmly in favour.

It would have to be policed though to be fair. Which costs money. I bet that’s why governments are against as well.

Religion has a lot to answer for! My dad the same though.

Yes as crayoladreamz says, mostly due to religion. Some don’t explain themselves, just keep saying it’s their own view and they’re sticking to it without giving reasons. It gets very frustrating that these people want to oppose their choices on the rest of us rather then giving everyone a choice.

I’ve alreadt had enough in my early 40s!

@The80sweregreat yes the ones against are all religious.

The ones against a clinic on Guernsney - do they say why?

I disagree. My grandmother is 92, in good health and very happy with life. If she hadn't lived this long she'd never have got to meet my DD who brings her a lot of joy.

Putting an age limit on it is ridiculous anyway, you can get a life limiting illness in your 40s and have worse quality of life than some elderly people.

I live in Guernsey and as a previous poster as said, it’s a hot topic here at the moment as our Government will shortly be debating the issue and it could become a reality here. There will be lots of laws governing it and I believe it will be for local, terminally ill people and not people who come to Guernsey simply to die, as you can do in Switzerland. If you’re not a resident it won’t be an option for you.

I have no idea what way the vote will go. I don’t think it’s fair to say that 90% of the polls are in favour because we don’t have polls. You can gauge reactions from social media and these have been very mixed. It will be interesting to see what the outcome is. Personally I’m in favour and if it does become an option, I will make sure people are aware of my views so that if I ever get to the point where I have no quality of life and am just waiting for the end to happen, then I want the right to choose when that happens.

Mouse _ exactly but it’s always life over death and it needs a re think.
Won’t happen though.

As much as we love him our dad he is a worry and getting harder to deal with.
I doubt my children will do for me that we do for him as they will have to work till they drop themselves.

I don’t have an ideal age. My DP’S DGM is in her late seventies and is in a care home following a stroke. She can’t move, has had numerous health problems and is in nappies. Once I reach a state like that, I want out. Even if I were 50 and requiring someone to change my shitty nappies, I’m afraid I’d rather be dead.

I used to be terrified of dying. Now though, the sooner I die the sooner I'll be reunited with my son.

I also have two girls and so would like to live to a ripe old age to see them grow up, settle and have families.

But like I say, I'm no longer afraid of dying.

Echo - I personally don’t want to live if I can’t do anything for myself. I don’t understand why governments don’t get this point of view, even though I know it’s not as black and white as that. Why should I live if I don’t want to because of illness?

I'm 46 and everything aches.
My dad is 86 and in a nursing home - although he is well looked after, I would hate it it for myself.

Catin - my dad in a nutshell! He is 96 though. No wonder his lived to his age!

I think it's because women are socialised to be constantly "doing something useful" and looking after someone else The80s - probably less so now, but certainly the women who are in their 80s and 90s now. It's hard to accept no longer being useful and becoming the one needing looking after. Men used to be socialised to "do" earning a wage but be quite comfortable with being looked after by a mother and then wife domestically.

women do say it a lot more - men don’t in my experience!

I agree with these saying it's a state of irreversible ill health and dependence that I don't want to go on living with, not a numerical age. I cannot stand the idea of being totally dependent upon anyone.

I worked in a care home and remember the women (only ever women) who'd tell me they'd outlived their husbands, siblings, friends and finally their own children, and couldn't get on and off the toilet without help, and couldn't concentrate to read, and had been useful all their lives and now needed looking after and just didn't want that, plus everything ached. Many of them would say "I can't do it any more, let me die!" and I'd have to say sorry, you know I can't do that... and say we (staff) would miss them, but really I understood and sympathised.

Usually once women actually started saying that they wouldn't last a year though, because they just gave up, couldn't be persuaded to eat enough or move enough, and became much frailer very fast.

Depends on your health doesn’t it? That’s really the bottom line.

That said, my next door but one neighbour is in her 80s and you'd never know it. She dresses young and classy, has an allotment, enjoys a drink and good music, has a lovely home and a social life. She's a total bitch too but she has a good life, ha.