AIBU to question why they put "Died of old age" on Prince Philip's death certificate?

[SolarLightxoxo]

I mean everyone dies of something surely? It's not like you come to a certain age and you just drop dead.

[Weeedonkey]

This article seems to say you don’t die of old age.

www.livescience.com/32241-do-people-really-die-of-old-age.html

It seems a weird take as what they’re saying is, we’d be immortal if it wasn’t for illness and disease, I’m not sure that’s true?

[Lipsandlashes]

My grandmother lived to 99 then her heart just stopped. She died of old age

[SchadenfreudePersonified]

There is always a final cause - we stop breathing.

Sometimes, if we are lucky, at a very great age, it is a gentle failure of all organs which contributes towards this.

[BiscoffAddict]

My grandad also died at 99. His death certificate listed a number of ‘causes’ including kidney failure and advanced prostate cancer. But when anyone asked what he died off we just said ‘old age’ because that’s what he did die off. The conditions listed on his death certificate were all complications of being very elderly. I think they have to list causes now because as said upthread, people like Harold Shipman exploited that.

Although on reflection I’m sure the Queen Mother also had ‘old age, however it’s highly unlikely that a member of the royal family would fall victim to a serial killer...

[DarcyLewis]

If your 90year old nan dies in her sleep, do you really want her body cut up to check if it was heart that gave out or a stroke or something else?
Who will that benefit?

[CloudPop]

How is dying at 68 considered to be dying of old age? Surely 68 isn't "old age" in anyone's definition?

[GlassBoxSpectacular]

@User57327259

On the assumption that OP is not related to the late Prince Phillip I have to wonder at her deep interest in his cause of death.

Why?

What leads you to think her question conveys a ‘deep interest’, rather than idle curiosity?

[notgivinga]

My dear grandmother died at 99 and that was put on her death certificate. I thought it was wonderful to be honest .

[toffeebutterpopcorn]

My granny had the same. She was quite elderly and frail.

[RosaLuxemb0urg]

Phillipa12 thank you for responding. First of all, I am so sorry to hear. Secondly, wow - that is sobering that the 'natural' end of somebody's life would come so early in the modern world.

[User57327259]

@SolarLightxoxo I have just had a similar experience irl. A close relative died and a neighbour who had never even held a conversation with my relative asked me what the relative had died of.
Not what I would call a well thought out and well mannered conversation with a recently bereaved person.
In the scheme of things a person is dead, they are not coming back, that is death and the reason for the death is not an appropriate topic for discussion.

[User57327259]

@GlassBoxSpectacular
See above response to @SolarLightxoxo

[Mrsjayy]

I didn't know that dying of old age could be on a death certificate I always assumed it had to be "of something'.

[Branleuse]

I guess we could put "heart stopped"

[toffeebutterpopcorn]

My mum used to say ‘they died from lack of breath’ when we were kids and would ask how someone had died.

[Thatisnotwhatisaid]

Of course you can just die of old age. We have a life span like any other animal.

[StCharlotte]

I see a fair few death certificates in my line of work and it's always nice to see "old age" or "frailty of old age". It doesn't happen very often though.

(At least/last the Covid 19 ones are becoming fewer and further between.)

[saraclara]

We get a hell of a lot more privacy than the royals. That is the single advantage we do have over them.

Exactly. Their complete lack of privacy is the single reason I would hate to be a royal.

Of course he died of old age. It's very probable that all his organs were failing. There's absolutely no reason for the public to need to know every detail, and an autopsy would be ridiculous.

[ChairmansReserve]

My grandfather died at 99 of old age. No cancer, dementia, Parkinsons, etc. he lived perfectly heathily to the age of 98 and his heart just wore out. After a couple of mini-strokes he lived a few more weeks then died.

[WeAllHaveWings]

@wdmtthgcock

At what age would a sudden unexpected death not require a post mortem? If a 95 year old drops down dead or dies in their sleep would the death be put down to old age or does there have to be an autopsy?
Is there still that rule that a post mortem has to be carried out if the person has not been seen by a doctor within a certain number of days before their death?

I think it all depends on the circumstances.

When my dad(78) died at home alone over a weekend, there was a lot of discussion around whether there had to be a post mortem as he was home alone at the time, he hadn't been in Drs surgery for 2 years, and the only Dr that had ever visited him at home was on holiday.

The paramedics and police had attended the house so saw the circumstances and combined with a his medical history common sense prevailed and they certified his death without one, much to the relief of my mum.

[SolarLightxoxo]

@toffeebutterpopcorn

My mum used to say ‘they died from lack of breath’ when we were kids and would ask how someone had died.

Exactly what my Dad used to say!

I must admit, the reason for my question is that I had previously not heard about "Old age" being listed as the cause of death on a death certificate. When my Nan and auntie died (both at the grand age of 90), the death certificates detailed the exact medical causes of death in both cases. In the case of my auntie, she was admitted to hospital with cancer. When she died in hospital months later, the post mortem gave a list as long as your arm of the things that led to her demise. We were surprised how long she had lived, bearing in mind how much turned out to be wrong with her. This was in the 1990s if that makes a difference? Because of the fact that there have always been cause of death detailed when family members have died I assumed (wrongly as it turns out) this would be the norm for all deaths.

[MargaretFraggle]

My Grandmother died of old age at 90. I am sure all deaths are different but sadly in her case, it wasn't as peaceful as it sounds. She had been in general decline for two years beforehand and her body and mind had gradually shut down. She had senile dementia, was blind and needed full time care. Which made her completely miserable. Her actual death was prolonged (over days) because her heart was so strong. It was really quite distressing actually. But we were all able to say goodbye because we knew it was the end and the care home was so amazingly supportive of us all.

My other grandmother was admitted to hospital after a fall in her own home and died alone in the middle of the night of hospital acquired pneumonia. Same age. Nobody with her. But I know which I'd choose.

[AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair]

Because of the fact that there have always been cause of death detailed when family members have died I assumed (wrongly as it turns out) this would be the norm for all deaths

Gotta love your logic though, half a million people die every year in the UK alone so perfectly sensible to assume that your experience of 2 deaths can be extrapolated to them all

[Darkbrownistheriver]

@StCharlotte
Me too (work in GP surgery). It’s quite unusual these days. It seems to me that it indicates that they have had a long life without any major medical conditions and just gently wore out. It always makes me smile.

[poppycat10]

My father's death certificate had two causes: Parkinsons and frailty of old age (he was 93).