To feel angry at how few people make a plan for their own old age

[OptimismvsRealism]

We are all going to end up in a bad way unless we're lucky enough to drop down dead unexpectedly

Why do most people live in denial?

People should definitely do a power of attorney otherwise relatives have to go to court. I did one at 46 to guilt my parents into doing one.

I get why people don't save into pensions. The pension companies give the impression that you need £1000000 but actually even £10k could knock a year off working.

I have many friends with no pension provision. They don't think greatly about it. I guess they will hurt work until 67.

Each to their own.

So? It wasn't lack of mental exercise and the unpleasant person who offered me a cookie ought also to be ashamed of themselves, as they obviously also blame dementia sufferers for their illness. Vile.

I wasn't blaming dementia sufferers for their illness, just pointing out that using Murdoch as an example, as people often do, was overlooking the fact that people who drink alcohol to excess raise their risk of dementia in later (and sometimes earlier) life significantly.

I think it is important, now we have more knowledge about the major risk factors and dementia prevention, to find out what we can do to help ourselves. That is not blaming anyone else, who was not around before these factors were isolated, or has a life that overlooks them.

Many behaviours influence the likelihood of dementia but there are always exceptions; genetics. My mother has dementia and her mother before her. Neither of them were drinkers, both were slim and both kept their minds and bodies active. It is sad and for me is something that hangs over me because it seems like a genetic thing. I have always assumed that I will struggle past 75.

Anecdote doesn't equate to data/statistics.

There's always going to be exceptions. Someone will always have great aunt Edna who smoked Capstan Full Strength every day but lived till she was 105 but uncle George who never smoked but died in his 50s from lung cancer.

It doesn't prove the data/statistics wrong. There are always exceptions/outliers, etc - that's the nature of a statistical distribution curve.

The facts/statistics are that living a fit and healthy lifestyle (body and mind) reduces the risks of dementia. There are no guarantees, even the healthiest of people may succumb to it, but statistics show a correlation between healthy lifestyles and reduced risk of dementia (and many other diseases).