To wonder if living to 100 or will become the norm

[User1000005]

As life expectancy improves

The state pension age is going up while our life expectancy is dropping. The establishment is rubbing its hands in glee as they know that most of us will be dead before we draw our pensions.

@TrickorTreacle

The state pension age is going up while our life expectancy is dropping. The establishment is rubbing its hands in glee as they know that most of us will be dead before we draw our pensions.

Yep you're right. My retirement age will probably be 75 by the time I manage to get near it. Bloody sucks.

My grandmothers lived into their late 80's, my parents are mid 70's now and despite many health issues due to poor lifestyle I anticipate they will carry on into their 90's at least.

I am vegetarian, never smoked or took drugs, rarely drink, but I'm also overweight and have mh issues which even aside from potential suicide or directly related mental illness death people with mental illness have a shorter expected lifespan, one of the reasons being meds and the meds I'm on do have some effects on life expectancy and health. This is a little advertised and known fact. I'm also asthmatic so that could carry me off with little warning.

Dd appears young fit and healthy. She has a disability which the effects include several potential outcomes leading to shortened lifespan.

I believe overall lifespan is again deteriorating due to obesity etc a few American shows I've noted the characters mentioning the phrase "sitting is the new smoking" in terms of health outcomes and my friends and relatives in USA said this is the message they're getting over there from various health experts. But basically people aren't moving enough, it's not just about formal/cardio exercise we're stagnating! It's not just blood, it's lymph fluids and all sorts aren't circulating and that is really bad for us

It'll be interesting to see how it all pans out

@TrickorTreacle

The state pension age is going up while our life expectancy is dropping. The establishment is rubbing its hands in glee as they know that most of us will be dead before we draw our pensions.

The original life expectancy beyond the original pension age was only a few years. It was never intended to support the majority for decades.

An interesting concept to look up is the good health expectancy which in many areas is depressingly low and strongly connected to socio-economic status.

Life expectancy is stagnating. Partly diminishing returns on healthcare and living conditions. Lifestyle and obesity rates may cause a decline. There is a limit to natural cell reproduction and health and few make it through their 80s in sound health.

Quality of life matters more than pure longevity.

I think we are too unhealthy to live longer and it will get shorter, however, if anyone is concerned about over population they should be looking to curb their procreation rather than look to other to die.

My dd was born in 2018 and I remember driving home from hospital after her birth. On the radio they said 1 in 3 baby girls born that year in the UK would live to be 100.

My Dad is 97. He lives alone, does all his own washing, cooking, cleaning. Shopping delivered.

No sign of dementia. Lively, interesting and interested. Sleeps like a log and is always cheerful. Loved his life .

Loves not loved. Although that too!

I think I read an article a couple of years ago that said 1 in 3 children today will live to 100.

@DipSwimSwoosh

My dd was born in 2018 and I remember driving home from hospital after her birth. On the radio they said 1 in 3 baby girls born that year in the UK would live to be 100.

Much less likely for my poor three boys but I'd love to think of them seeing in the new century together 2100 - 85 and 81, a big party with their kids and grand kids, and maybe a wee glass of something to celebrate their Mom's 119th birthday without me

My maternal great grandmother 102, my maternal grandmother 78, my mother 60, judging by that pattern, it doesn't bode well for me

This is where people become confused by statistics on average life expectancy, they see an increase over time and assume it’s linear.

They ignore huge changes in health care, infant mortality, maternal mortality, war deaths, antibiotics etc.

If you look at life expectancy amongst senior religious people, from gravestones in cathedrals from way back, loads lived into their 80s or 90s, good food, no maternal mortality, no war casualties, no STDs.

There’s a problem with validating dates of birth in many countries from the last century.

Nobody is believed to have lived longer than 123, she was a French woman, recent evidence suggests that she impersonated her aunt in order to avoid taxes, so wasn’t anywhere over 100.

It’s a bell curve, the maximum being c120, lots more people living to over 90 or even 100.

As to people living to 200, no one living over 100 looks like a 50 year old, who wants to spend 100 years as a geriatric?

My grandparents were 97, 89, 94 and 93 when they passed away.
DH grandparents are 91, 87 and 86 and still going.
We are expecting to go on for years and years!
Both of our fathers died young though, mine at 32 and FIL at 59 both from cancer so maybe we won’t.

I really hope not. My parents are around 80 and have massively slowed down recently. They were both incredibly active and did so much with their lives. They’re both a bit fed up that they can’t physically do much anymore. My dad scares me sometimes by saying that he still enjoys his life but he hates the slowing down and the realisation that it’s all downhill from here. He says what’s the point in living to an old age if you’re just sat around. My mum has had several major issues with her health over the past five years (despite being incredibly fit and active) and has a sad air of resignation. I really don’t look forward to old age.

My GM is 99, Lives in thehouse she has livedin her entire life, (alone), cooks, Cleans,Goes walking daily. She wascompletely with it until the pandemic hit. Since there have been fewer places to go, shops closed, not bring able yo take the bus to places etc) shehas definitely declined but is still well considering. I think the jey us geing very fit (shes slways walked at least 5 miles evety day despite having crippled feet and legs) with sheer determination, and keeping busy doing something. Its the never give in attitude in her case. My goodness shes stubborn when she decides on something though!!🤪its got her where she is ...its the key...activity and mindset

I think it depends on your quality of life and own personal preference if you’d want to. I know some people in their 90s feel relatively fine and have some independence which is great, but others are in pain due to one ailment or another and need a lot of care. I think I’d rather die at 80 peacefully in my sleep than 100 and in a lot of pain and fed up/frustrated by my older body.

Our neighbour was in her late 80s and passed away recently. She lived alone as she was determined to stay as independent as possible (with carers coming a few times a day for meals/bathing/medication) but she would fall a lot and wouldn’t be able to get up again. She had one of those help buttons round her neck that she would press and people would come but sometimes took a while, so sometimes my partner and I would go round if we heard her (she had a keybox). She was always embarrassed and frustrated, told us her body felt like it wasn’t hers anymore and everything hurt and was harder to do. I know she was normally upset about the falls so she may have just been offloading, and of course she wasn’t representative of all people her age, but it did give me a new perspective on how difficult it must be to be in an old body you no longer have full control over.

Life expectancy has stopped increasing. It's stagnating and I expect it will start to decrease for the majority. The housing crisis is one of the key reasons why. It's the associated deprivation and lack of life chances caused by poor quality insecure housing. The role of stress on physical health is too often underestimated. I wish it wasn't.

Personally I don't want to hang on forever, the idea of being in a care home fills me with horror, and I plan to head to Switzerland when it's time, but I'm concerned about the worsening quality of life we're begining to see.

I think quality is more important than longevity.

I really hope not.

Not the 'norm' but more common.

My husband's maternal grandmother lived to 103, died in the late 1880s. She was great! Nether of her children lasted that long but they did live to be very elderly.

I can't see me making 100 either but don't care.

My pension won't provide for 20+ years.....

@didireallysaythat

My pension won't provide for 20+ years.....

So it's not a regular ongoing payment?

I hope not, the planet is already overcrowded and social care is at breaking point now. Just imagine a generation of people in their 80s trying to cope with caring for their 100+ year old parents, who may be immobile and doubly incontinent, with dementia, failing eyesight and poor hearing - it would be hellish for many people. From what I've seen the quality of life often decreases once people reach their 80s, and very few people in their 90s are healthy, fit and independent. I am seriously considering taking steps to end my life, around 70 or 75, depending on how my health is at that point, and whether my DH is still alive.

I hope not. I'm in many 40s and already shattered. I'm going to be needing my long rest way before I reach 100. Just considering the possibility of another 55 years makes me feel tired.

I'm not so sure.
The majority of the elderly now will have lived through rationing during the war or post war rationing. Middle aged folk will have , for many, been brought up on frozen, neon coloured , fast food, much like today. I reckon that that life expectancy will lessen for a while. Breaded chicken/chicken nuggets/burgers and chips will not increase longevity.

That is true - but also remember that many of the current elderly either smoked, or grew up in homes where others smoked.

My mum's friends MIL lived to be 6 weeks off 103, four days before she died she was up a step ladder changing her curtains, she went on the bus to town & Asda, looked after herself, decorated, cooked, went to the hairdressers. She was as bright as a button until 4 days before she died, had bowel pain, doctor sent her to hospital, it needed an op, she refused & said it was time she passed away, she drifted away over 3 days & died on Christmas eve last year.