Would you want to live to 100?

[Isitstillchristmas01]

I was just reading about former US president Jimmy Carter who has died aged 100. I can’t imagine what it would be like to live to that age. I don’t know what his health was like and how he lived his life in his later years but that would be too old for me. Even if I was relatively mobile and had my faculties, I would have had enough by then. Also imagine how much everyday life would have changed by then. How do you keep up?!

How do you feel about living to 100?

To be honest, I don't want to, because my income is very low, I don't have enough savings for retirement, I'm not sure if I'm going to be poor in my old age, I don't want to live like this to 100, I feel miserable.

I’m an elderly nurse and absoloutely not, I nurse lots of people over 100, on the night shift I’ve just come off I had a patient born in 1921!

They have amazing stories but they’re rarely happy, many say they just want to die, have many health problems but their bodies are still hanging on and many have no surviving friends or relatives left.

im sure there’s some out there who may be happy but I feel I have a tainted view as I obviously care for the unwell ones

Absolutely not. I spend a lot of time with the elderly and 85-90 is the maximum I want.

It’s all very well being objective though. The reality is I see people with what looks like terrible quality of life clinging to every day; and people who have genuinely had enough taking endless medication designed to stave off the serious conditions that would allow them a natural death. It’s clearly very hard to let go.

Absolutely not, no. My grandma lived to over 100. It’s not what I’d want for myself.

No. I have to say that very old age scares me a little. I know a few people in their 90s. Although on paper they look like they're doing well (living independently), they're miserable, they're unhappy, they say they want to die. Their lives are so limited, they have constant health problems, pain, loneliness. None of them express any desire to live longer.

I don't think it's so much about calendar age as whether you've outlived your health in ways that mean you can't enjoy life.

I would love to, but can't afford to. As soon as I can't work anymore I will shuffle off to Dignitas. No house, no pension, no choice. I would love the luxury of old age but I simply can't afford it.

If I end up like my mum who even at 81 is bend over with osteoporosis, has a pacemaker, breast cancer and Alzheimer's then absolutely not.

My neighbour is 101 and has just been placed in a care home, she has all her facilities but her legs are going so she is struggling in her house even with care, she has wanted to die for about 5 years now, it's so sad.

I’m aiming for 103. The only circs in which I wouldn’t want to live so long would be advanced dementia.

It totally depends on the person. My mother will be 95 on her next birthday. She lives independently, walks every day, happy with online banking and shopping, broke her hip over lockdown but now recovered. She has a good life, friends and family around her and does crosswords every day and reads a lot.

Other people's parents - not so much.

I work with the elderly and would only want to live to 100 if I was still reasonably healthy and no memory problems. Certainly don’t want to live long if I had dementia and didn’t recognise my relatives. I’ve already told dc that as soon as I don’t know who they are I want to die then.

My Nana is 93 and very happy living in a home near me but will frequently tell us she doesn’t want to live that long. She has a strong faith and wants to be with her parents and my Grandpa…

No, I don't want to live that long, but equally I'm scared of dying. I expect I will feel differently once I get older, as I'm not yet 50.

My friend is a telephone companion for the Silver line charity. One of her ladies is 98 and has outlived her husband, her three children, all siblings and several nieces and nephews. She is so lonely and is just existing. Sounds miserable.

No, I know people who have had a good quality of life until 85, but my personal experience has been that beyond that poor health/dementia almost invariably sets in.

Plus the only person I know who did remain healthy & active into their 90s, my MIL, lost everyone she knew and loved of her own generation. She was the last one standing. I'll never forget her sadness when it became apparent her last remaining friend of her own age had dementia.

Dh grandmother will be 100 in February. This is a great source of one upmanship for his family. They boast about how long lived she is, FIL boasts they are genetically superior (yes, really, the man is a dickhead).

The reality is, she’s sat hunched over and curled up in a chair for the last 7 years with FIL taking food to her three times a day. It’s no life.

No I would not like it I am already fed up with life hurdle so I don't want another 50 years of it

No way. I've been chronically ill since my 20s and I can only imagine by the time im 100 , I'd have collected quite the array of medical conditions. My body would probably be an absolute wreck.

If I could choose, I'd go for 80. Most older people I've known have had enough by that point, irrespective of health.

Another reason for me is I had my DC young, early 20s. So by living to 100 they'd be pushing 80 and I don't want either of them to die before me. I know that could happen any time, but barring something else going wrong, I do not want to outlive them.

I don't think age really matters so much as health and mental capacity.

My family are quite long lived - one grandma was independent until three months before she died at 97, and one of my granddads was absolutely fine until his mid-nineties when he went into hospital and died in his sleep.

However I've seen people in their seventies struggle much more than they did.

i have no idea
it really depends
i looked after a lady who reached 100
she was so sharp

i have relatives who have lived a few years over 100, and i know one did say how boring it was!

If I still had my mind and I was reasonably healthy, yes. Otherwise, no. I definitely don't want to end up with dementia, in a nursing home or struggling with doing even the most basic things.

No because it's likely that my quality of life would be very poor for a good chunk of years once beyond age 90

I'm happy to live to a ripe old age (90ish) providing I still have reasonable physical and mental health

None of my grandparents lived beyond late 80s so I think it's highly unlikely for me anyway

No, I think anything after 75 is a bonus and only if I still have good health, mental and physical. My own parents died in their early 80s . They had a good life and even better retirement.
My MIL lived to her 90s, poor health, dementia latterly, very negative about everything and everyone. Kept going by medical interventions and copious prescriptions. Not a life I would want.

My nan is in her 90s living independently and now loving life (since my grandad died). My great aunt also in her 90s is very active and painted the outside of her bungalow last year. My MIL in her 80s has travelled alone to 5 different countries last year. It all depends on quality of life and healthspan not the number.

I agree with everyone’s comments. I wouldn’t have thought many people could live independently by that age. Also as pps have pointed out, who would you have around you if all your peers are gone? It depends on your family circumstances of course but lots of people would not have family around either by then.