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

[MrsDeltaB]

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'

How have we got to a point where being old carries such a stigma that we tell ourselves 77 is middle aged?

I agree with Stand that age isn't a state of mind or a state of health - it's just a fact and as far as I'm concerned no amount of wriggling or denial changes it.

My death will be a tragedy for me personally but I'd have to be pretty narcissistic to think it's comparable to the death of a child.

I can see where op is coming from. 'Old' age (I know everyone can dispute what old age is) is a privilege denied to many and dying of old age is very lucky.
It is sad when anyone dies, of course, but my nana dying at 76 isn't comparable to a child dying at 5, and she'd been the first to say that.

My relatives were killed in concentration camps and slave labour camps

In ww2 I'm assuming? If so, we have something in common as I also come from a family who were victims of the Holocaust. Those deaths, regardless of age, were an absolute atrocity. Every single life lost could be described as a tragedy due to the true horror of it.

My comments with regard to deaths of elderly people not being tragic compared with the deaths of young people assumed them as being deaths from illnesses/accidents, rather than violent deaths/murders.

77 is young. People are living into their 90s and still active.

77 is NOT young. 90 is older but it is very old. 77 is old. this is not opinion, this is just basic maths and biology!

Not many people live into their 90s and still active. Class has a massive impact on your life expectancy and health. Given how relatively well off MNers seem to be, then your own experience is not indicative of the norm.

Come back and post when you're 77 and see if you're of the same view.

Nanny Ogg (61 and three-quarters)

Even before checking "the Bible" I would have said over 60 is old (and I'm in my early 50s)

No it's not. I don't feel old, I don't look old and I don't act old. I feel late middle-aged.

Nanny Ogg (61 and three-quarters)

My mum is 76. She's pretty active, but she doesn't kid herself that her body is young anymore. I said, 'Mama, you're only as old as you feel,' she laughed back, 'Bullshit! I feel about 35, but I can't move as fast or as long as one.' And this is someone who's been active all her life (she's done ballet and some form of dance since she was a young child and still dances ballroom several times a week, does yoga daily, travels often, has a great social life). Sadly, some of her friends have dementia and it's very sad and unpleasant. More than a few have already died (not all the same age, of course).

I think Pacific is spot on. Life is a terminal condition and being in the Western world we have lost sight of that a bit. You can live as well and cleanly as possible. Death is still a certainty. Living fully is what's important.

I am in my mid 50s. I know lots of sporty people my age who run marathons and do active jobs. ALL of them say they can't do what they used to be able to do. And all in very active jobs are trying to find less active jobs to do till retirement. Yes being 50, 60, 70 or 80 does not mean you have to sit in the house watching Homes Under the Hammer and wearing old fashioned clothes, but don't kid yourself that your body does not age. It does.

Also enjoying your life and helping your family enjoy theirs is what matters. A friend has an illness which causes premature death if she does not take certain medication. The medication causes her a lot of pain. She is willing to trade 10 years less of life, for a much improved quality of life.

Come back and post when you're 77 and see if you're of the same view

In the incredibly unlikely event I get to be 77, I will be very well aware that I am old.

My grandad did not have old age as a cause of death despite being 95, although 77 is a fairly normal age to die most people hope for a little more time

I believe we shouldn't treat death as a scary spectre that we lie to children about. My dd is 7 and knows people, animals, plants, die. Why are we so afraid to talk openly about the one thing that most definitely will happen to us! It's a universal constant. As sad as it is, it's happening to us eventually. If we're lucky we'll have 70+ years of memories when it happens. That's a long time. I'm 37. I'm middle aged in my own opinion. I'm Glaswegian so could technically be classed as beyond middle age! My dad died aged 51. Death is certain. Let's stop pretending that it isn't, that's it's some awful misfortune to befall an unfortunate few. If I get 77 years I'll be happy. Only 2 of my grandparents got anywhere near that. i may have had beer 🍺 Apologies for the rambling

It's not put as cause of death but that doesn't mean that it isn't.

Old age isn't always a contributing factor though, if it is then it's put on the death certificate. In my gfs case age wasn't deemed a factor despite his age.

At 95 it would be a miracle if old age were not a contributing factor.

Sanoffy you have nailed it. Beer or no beer!

People die of all sorts of illnesses that become more common after 50, so old age is always a factor then. Often even on accidents, because people are slower, can't hear as well or whatever.
But deaths increase steadily from the 20s, so as soon as we stop growing we are all dying of old age, it seems.

Speaking of old age, RIP Hugh Heffner. Can't see many people considering it a huge tragedy, but mostly male boards might take a different view.

See that makes me cross. Hugh Hefner was a huge supporter of gay rights, and contraceptive/abortion rights for women.

And yes, he was 91, but an "expected" death is no less sad than an unexpected one.

See that makes me cross. Hugh Hefner was a huge supporter of gay rights, and contraceptive/abortion rights for women

Hugh Hefner was a misogynistic twat who exploited women both professionally and personally for decades.

An expected death at 91 is no less sad than an unexpected death?
Really?
An unexpected death of a 15 yr old is no more sad than the expected death of a 91 yr old?

@histinyhandsarefrozen

Yes.

Expected or unexpected, to the people close to the deceased it does not matter. I'm not sure why you're having trouble understanding that.

My grandmother's death at 93 was expected - but it tore my mother apart. My father's death at 66 was unexpected - no more or less devastating. It's not a fucking competition.