To think Gill Pharaoh had the ideal end of life

[CurdinHenry]

Article in the Times about this woman who decided to end her life through voluntary euthanasia at 75. Huge outrage on social media as a result as various people missing the point entirely express fury because they think being very elderly will be great fun. I personally don't want to get older than that. I don't ask anyone else to take the same view but it stresses me out that the naive want to reduce choices available to the prescient. Euthanasia should be available to everyone without condition.

Yes, but I wouldn’t call it very elderly, which is how some posters are referring to it. It’s only 7 years past state pension age!

Very elderly for me would be 85+

I don't think you can speak for anyone but yourself, really.

My own experience is probably that as many people will be getting tired of the effort it takes to stay alive at 70 as feel the other way around.

Those with ADHD who have been using physical activity, risk and novelty to moderate their symptoms face particular challenges with age.

It doesn't matter whether 75 is deemed "elderly" or not. We all know that experience of ageing can vary greatly, eg the 60 year old who has multiple physical and mental health problems and a hugely curtailed life, and their neighbour who is a spritely 80 year old, running marathons and chairing the Parish Council.
Nobody is applying some arbitrary age limit, because it should be about personal choice - if a person, of any age, wishes to end their own life, they should have the right to do so, preferably with assistance to ensure a smooth completion. It's really not complicated.

So true!! My body, my choice.

I agree, 75 is elderly.

People can refuse life-prolonging medical treatment and do so all the time. I know two people who refused chemo and died with palliative care, another who ended treatment for a number of conditions and died likewise.

While you have mental capacity you can specify in an advance decision that you refuse specific medical treatments in specific circumstances should you become ill, have an accident or lose capacity for another reason such as senile dementias.

Or you can appoint an attorney for health and welfare who you think would be your best advocate in such circumstances. You can also co-ordinate the attorney and a final AD.

Well actually when I wake up on a morning I don't think Oh blimey, I'm elderly.
I wake up and get on with my life and do whatever I have to do that day, which includes housework, laundry, gardening- including grass cutting, hedge trimming, weeding etc, household admin, shopping etc etc. etc. In fact all the things I have been doing for the past 50 odd years.

Why should I think.of myself as elderly? On MN I sometimes describe myself as Older generation. which I am. But why should I play your game of putting labels on myself?

This doesn’t change the fact that you are old. You have lived so far for 74 years. That’s what makes you old, your physical age and your body’s natural aging.

it stresses me out that the naive want to reduce choices available to the prescient

@CurdinHenry it stresses me out that the naive don't think assisted dying aka euthanasia would be rolled out for people who can't afford to pay for their own care and are perceived as a burden on society. One comment that you're fed up and off you'd go. It terrifies me

And long may she continue. It’s what I would want for myself and I’m shocked that’s 75 is being deemed very elderly. I think it’s middle aged.

Why should people stay alive when they’ve had enough of life? I don’t want to be a burden to anyone, and I definitely don’t want to end up in a care home. I want to choose when to die.

It's unlikely to be as easy as saying 'im fed up' and the next thing you know you're on your way to the clinic

75 is definitely not middle aged!! Life expectancy for women is 83.

Play my game? I didn't make the language up off the top of my head.

A child is from birth to 17 years old. What would you call them if not children?

Elderly really just means someone has lived for many years, which at 75 you definitely have. I hope you live well for many, many more.

MND is the one diagnosis that if I got it, I would be booking my flight to Switzerland ASAP. I’ve seen a friend die of it. On the other hand, it’s not age related is it. Young people get it too. Re dementia, there are drugs that can slow its progress. Who can say that there won’t be a cure in the lifetimes of people who are currently middle-aged.

It would be great if it was that quick and easy!!

You’ve been asked a reasonable question, given the them of the discussions and your answers. No one is asking you to think of yourself as elderly. No one is asking you to label yourself, though the discussion is about descriptions.

Perhaps you prefer to think of ageing and being elderly in terms of what someone can or cannot do.

The thing is , the brain you have now is not the brain you'll have at 80. You might actually be OK about moving into a care home as it would make your life easier. No cooking, bills etc . It hard to imagine and its not that common but it does happen

Moving into a care home is just prolonging life (and suffering for many.)

It can be about living life safely as well. If you have capacity you can refuse all the medical help you want but sometimes sepsis for example, would be a worse death than having treatment. Not all older people are sitting around suffering.

That’s for individuals to decide.

Just like choosing to end your life is an individual choice.

I think personally 75 is too young. Right now I feel maybe 85 for me would be right but sits a personal thing.

I was asked at what age I would consider myself elderly by a poster who told me
you can't seriously believe you're not elderly
Which actually is pretty offensive.

As I said in my reply I get up in a morning and get on with my life and I don't sit around contemplating about whether or not I am elderly.

Of course getting older brings changes to your appearance and to your health. I would be stupid if I thought I was the same now as I was 50 years ago. But why are you and other pp so anxious to label people as elderly, or very elderly. ? I am a person living an independent life doing all the things necessary to look after myself and my home and my wellbeing. I am an individual. Why do you want me to put a label on myself?

75 isn’t too young for some people. If someone wants to end their life, what gives anybody the right to stop them ending it? Is preserving one human life worth anything if that person genuinely doesn’t want it? Shouldn’t people be able to control their own outcome of their life?