Why are posters on MN obsessed with others becoming carers as life goes on

[CateTown]

Any thread which mentions a significant ge gap relationship is met with cries of "you'll end up his carer" "you'll be wiping his bum when you're 45"

I don't know where I read it but apparently most people don't need that level of care until the last months of their lives (if at all).
I know loads of elderly people who live independently and manage (I assume) to wipe their own backsides.

It's the same when only children are mentioned "oh no - they'll end up caring for you on their own when you're old"

Do people really base their life choices on whether they might end up as a carer?

@Cowbells

When I'm in my 50s and 60s, my DH will be the same age, and I think there is a good chance we will both be active and healthy enough to lead full lives together. If he was 10-20 years my senior, the odds of this would be much lower.

Sadly, I am seeing this with just a 5 year age gap. I'm late fifties, DH early sixties and in the last year he's just less able to be active. We used to love hiking up mountains. Two years ago he really struggled to get up a mountain and it took us hours longer than the suggested time. Last year he turned back half way. This year he's decided not even to bother. It makes me sad. DC are just about adults and I'd look forward to a lot of trekking holidays. I'm so not ready to be shuffling around world heritage sites and then clambering back onto the tour bus.

I've seen a similarly rapid decline in my previously healthy dad. He has gone from doing long hilly rambles in the Peak to being limited to shorter flat walks in a shockingly short period of time. It's opened my eyes to the fact that when you're in the 60s, 70s or 80s, even a year or two can make a very big difference.

I think the thing with caring nowadays is that the 'wonders of modern medicine' means that people can live for a very long time with debilitating illnesses.
Also they are not allowed to be a risk to themselves. So accidents;, which might hasten frail health, are much less likely to happen.