To ask this about 55+ year olds?

[Luciasa]

In your opinion, do you think it's unusual for people aged 55 and over to have both their parents -

• alive and living independently?

My cousin, nearly 65, parents 95 and 91.

Other cousins, 63 and 56, parents are 91 and 86.

Yes, it was a shock, DM died as she was getting ready to go shopping, she often walked the mile into town, I had spoken to her the day before on the phone and she was fine, but I hadn't gone round for a week or two because I had a bad cold, I went round on the evening she died as she hadn't answered the phone and found her The way her clothes and stuff were there it was clear she was getting ready to go out, used breakfast dish was there and tv on, she had been ironing her clothes.

DF was also reasonably fit and well and died in much similar circumstances but he was separated from us for many years so I didn't see much as he lived miles away

Amongst me and my contemporaries, I'd say it's pretty varied. Some do; some don't. Will probably become less common for future generations, as more people born to older parents.

My mum is 63 her mum, stepdad and step mum are still alive, her dad died a couple of years ago.

55 and 56- still have all 4 but 2 would rather be dead that living the live that they are

We are more humane to cats than humans when it comes to the end of life.

I remember many years ago my grandmother worked in a dept store alongside a 78 yr woman whose 99 yr old mother was still alive. She used to pop home at lunch time to make her mum’s lunch. I used to picture her standing at the bus stop making chit chat with someone in the queue and saying “I’m just popping home to see my mum” and folk thinking this poor soul has dementia.

It's anecdata ... But I'm 57 and still have both of mine living independently at 84 and 85, although one is very frail. I hate this time of life ... But I'm glad to have them.

im 54 but both my parents live independently

74 and 76

I am just shy of this age, and don’t think both of my parents will be alive by the time I reach 55. One has stage 4 cancer and the other had dementia and various other conditions.
Dh’s father died many years ago.

Thinking about my friends, most of whom are this sort of age, almost none have both parents alive. Most have lost both parents.

Very mixed around me. SES does seem to be a factor like pp - parents of people I grew up with generally a lot less likely to be still around at all - and not very healthy if they are. Mine both died over 20 years ago - before dd was born. I'm always slightly taken aback when people my age (60) talk about their living parents - it's been so long - a third of my life now. I'm sad that it will be the same (or worse) for dd, given our ages - but there you go - it is what it is.

I'm not sure how unusual it is, but at 58 I have both parents reasonably healthy and well and living independently aged 87 and 88.

Mine are . They had us young .

When I was 55 in 2008 my mum was 90 and my dad was 92. Not only were they living independently but they were going abroad on holiday twice a year. They made their last trip in 2012 and both died in 2015.