People in their 90’s are bloody amazing.

[lightisnotwhite]

So I don’t work in nursing home and therefore are referring to those I know still in the community.
But my experience is that they are just incredible. Just been to visit in-laws. My FIL at 92 looks like someone decades younger. Dresses well, can hold an interesting conversation and more importantly looks after MIL with dementia. Still drives and plays golf. We gave him a break and took MIL out, he chose to prepare some stuff for a class he attends rather than have a nap ( always my preferred option).
Two of my neighbours both in their 90’s. Again dress and can hold a conversation well, plus remember names
, dates and birthdays with ease.. Both drive and one has just bought a brand new car! One holidays at least 3 times a year with her also 90 year old friends and both still do their gardens (immaculate).

I struggle to remember stuff, can’t be arsed with mundane stuff and both house and garden are a bit “ behind”. Even if I stay healthy I can’t imagine I’ll be as motivated as this lot. Do you think it’s just coincidence or did growing up in the era they did make them hardier humans?

I think you're deluded to be quite frank.

My dad is in his 90s and very mentally and physically well.

That doesn't mean there aren't plenty of people in their 90s who aren't.

Not amazing just lucky, my mum was always young for her age until the wretched dementia set in.

No I do get that plenty won’t be healthy either mentally or physically ( MIL has dementia). Sorry if that didn’t come across.

But the ones that are healthy seem bullet proof. See Captain Tom. I mean why bother in your 90’s. But they do.
I was interested in if this is “a thing” or not. If you get to 90 are you nails regardless of your place in time or is it this generation of 90 year olds? They genuinely have more energy than a few of my friends.

Of the three of my grandparents who lived into their 90s, none of them wete having a good time at that point.

One was in the final throes of dementia.

One had lost his sight and ability to concentrate enough to listen to the radio or audiobooks and found it intensely frustrating and impacting his ability to enjoy life,

The third lost her previously fiercely help independence and struggled to adjust to care. She lived out the last 12 years of uer life depressed and eventually with dementia calling for her mother.

I also know people in their 90s who have a great life and I am very happy for them.

The cards fall as they will.

My grandmother is 96 and lives pretty independently (family do help with some things), he husband/my grandad lived until 94. My other grandfather was also 94 when he passed but my grandmother dies when she was 80. I put it down to being active and having a good diet, all grew there own fruit and veg and rarely ate processed food, though one of my grandads had a sweet tooth and loved a sugar sandwich 🤣.

I know growing old isn’t the same for everyone, one of my grandads was bed bound for 6 months before he died, this was hard to watch when he had always been so active. I’m not sure I would want to love this long for it meant I needed lots of care and was no longer mobile.

The point I was making is that I haven’t got dementia or am incapacitated yet I really haven’t got the energy of these 90 year olds. I do go away with my friends but not 3 times a year ( the organisation of friends is a job in itself) and I don’t really care if the care if the garden hasn’t been trimmed and weeded. The neighbour directly next door has her hair done every month. I mean at 90 and she still gives a toss what she looks like.
If I couldn’t care now theres no hope in 40 years time. I feel slovenly.

I think it’s more common to be in a bad ear than not over 90, sadly.

STATE not ear (wtf)

Combo of luck, genes and taking care of himself but my grandad is 92 and amazes me. My DGM died 10 years ago and he didn't miss a beat with housework, cooking, washing etc. He always was progressive though, and used to it. He's my benchmark for a proper man: equal everything from nappy changing to giving up his beloved (but v.v. dangerous hobby) when my DM was born. He's currently doing up his second classic car since hitting his 90s, had a heart op and hip replacement during the pandemic, is learning a new language, has picked up using an iPad and regularly WhatsApps my 13 year old DD, bakes his famous custard slices for my cousin's bakery occasionally and keeps up with Pokémon news to chat to my 7 year old. He is amazing, definitely fading, very wobbly, but still amazing. That said, he was amazing at 20/39/40/50...etc.

My mum is 94 and slowly withering in a care home, despite being very active, super healthy and with it aged 89. I would not want the same

Can't fucking crack an egg though. I have to go round there every Tuesday otherwise his preferred Tuesday lunch of fried egg on toast goes spectacularly tits up 😂

I do an exercise class that is also attended by several women in their 90s. They have more pep than me, some days!

Anyone who gets to their 90s with their marbles intact, and who is still reasonably mobile, is IMO very lucky. Many lose either their marbles or their mobility, sometimes both.

My DM went on to 97 and was still mobile - but she’d had advanced dementia for some years.

The woman I’ve just posted about elsewhere, who died in her sleep at 94 having not even been ill, had smoked all her adult life, and until a short spell in hospital some months previously, had not been in hospital since WW2, when she contracted malaria while with the U.K. forces in Italy.
Increasingly I’m beginning to think that a good part of it is down to genes.

@Luredbyapomegranate I’d agree. What’s life expectancy mid 80’s? So I’d have thought the healthy ones would be acting “old”. But they really don’t seem to.

I mean obviously the Queen had all the benefits of money but she didn’t stop being Queen although she could have.William Shatner went into space, Angela Lansbury worked until she died. Loads of others still doing stuff.
They keep going despite there being no real point. You don’t need the money, you surely know who your friends are and no one expects anything especially looks wise.
Its pretty special to still put the effort in?

This is lovely to read.
I am in a masters swimming club and our oldest member is 96 this year. He wins all the national medals as he is now the only one in his category 🤣

My gran is 91. Mentally sharp as a pin but her heart is failing and her mobility is getting worse. I hate to see this and hate as much how stressed my mum is. We were always us 3 as I grew up. Can’t imagine life without her. I just want to have her a few more years.

I don’t share your view - everyone I have encountered in their 90s have suffered incredible pain - it’s horrible to watch. My sister says she’s going to find a heroin dealer to get hold of some good gear to see her off - I think it’s not a bad idea.

MiL could probably have gone happily at 89. There was little joy in being 90 and much of the year was spent painfully in hospital and spending the last couple of months in a care home as her body slowly gave up.

She was bloody marvellous at 85.

I did know some hospital volunteers in their early 90s and still had mobility and mental acuity. Even with good genes and lifestyle, it's still a lot of good luck to be on decent form and living independently past 90.

It’s all dependant on the person, I work with people that are months away from 100 that are virtually independent, mentally ok, continent and able to walk unaided or with minimal frames.

but I’ve also seen the decline in days or pass suddenly.

My grandma in law lived independently until aged 97. She was quite deaf by then but her mind was as sharp as ever. She always “did the pools”, took a close interest in football and studied racing form.

She avoided fresh food always. She preferred all her food to come from tins- which she kept in the fridge - open, for far too long. She would just scrape the mould off and eat the contents.

She was always slim but ate lots of bought cake and enjoyed sweets.
She was very proud that she kept her figure and was the same weight all her life.

She only drank alcohol at weddings, funerals or Christmas.

The only exercise she ever took was cleaning her house.

She worked hard as a nurse until she was about forty and after that “put her feet up” and allowed her large family to look after her every need.

She was rarely ill during her life.

As she broke all the rules, apart from limited alcohol and no smoking her long, healthy life must have been due to good genes.

There's a chap in his 90s (95?) at our athletic club. He's still very active in the club, officiates at events (in a role that's not easy to fill) and has all his marbles. Think it's the club that keeps him going tbh. I saw him yesterday at a cross country event. He no longer drives but otherwise is fine. We will really genuinely miss him when he does go. But atm he is still enjoying what he does.

I'm a bit worried about all these nonagenarian drivers, to be honest.