to think that pensioners or the elderly are are devalued in our society?

[JeanPoole]

what are your views on how the elderly are treated in this country then?

ah riven your mum must be so scared of going into hospital

On the other hand, if I'm old and poor and miserable, I hope someone tops me off.

I think they are living too long, if they retire at 60 or 65 that's 20 years doing what, playing golf, driving too bloody slowly on the roads, falling over, I hope to pop off at around 70 at the latest.

Well, Sorrento, I hope I do, too, tbh.

We have to remember that retirement was never meant to last 20-30+ years. It was set up with the idea that most would love maybe 5 years or so after the retired.

Well, with rights goes responsibilities. As medicine has advanced, and life expectancy has increased, it goes to follow that people will have to work longer, as they did in the recent past.

It's not feasible for any society to support a large segment of the population not working for 20-odd years and likely with expensive health problems as well.

That's just not affordable for any society.

Of course, age discrimination legislation needs to take this consideration.

I also think you reap what you sow, DH's mother fucked off to wiltshire leaving him aged 17 to fend for himself with his aged grandfather. All the time he was at University he was alone in this country whilst she swanned around Spain and Florida with her new husband.
Now aged 69 she thinks she's going to sell her piddly little flat and give us £50k and expect us to double our mortgage so she can move in with us.
Well she can take a run and jump.

See, I wouldn't mind if my folks moved up here.

But thankfully they don't have any history of dementia.

After working in hospice, I promised myself if I ever start developing that I will immediately top myself.

I wouldn't mind her moving in if a) she'd looked after DH when he was a kid b) was prepared to cough up what it will actually cost us to house her. She wants us to move from a 4 bed with a huge garden to a house with an annex for her to live in, so we'd go from a £200k mortgage to a £400k and the actual space that our family would have would be reduced because of the annex.
Now had she supported DH through uni you could almost say well if it hadn't been for her he wouldn't be the man he is today yada yada, but she didn't and everything he's achieved/owned he's done all by himself with a little help from me, so she can stay in her flat and buy ear plugs. (She wants to move because of the road noise by her, more than happy for some other poor bugger to put up with it).

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Ohh my mum told me when I was younger she would never move in with me when she was old as she thought it put to much strain on the children in law - so I was to put her in a home bless she never did make old

I would look after my dad though, he lives on his own and travells but hopefully when he is old I will be able to get him in a good sheltered place or home - I would move in if needed as we have always looked out for each other.

you do get some people that reach 60+ aand think it's their right to start being rude to people and grumpy.

yes but they have always been rude and grumpy its just when they reach 60+ they think they have a right to get away with it

sorrento, has she actually asked you yet?
what will you say if she does?
will you tell her straight why?

She has asked luckily she has to sell her flat and DH has to get a job before anything at all could happen and neither look likely in the forseable.
Also she's 69 years old and apparently if she dies within 7 years of giving us the money it's taxable and what if she doesn't die and she's disposed of her assets to us, does that mean her care or the cost of falls to us as we were given the cash lump sum ? Not a risk I'm prepared to take, she can keep her money.

sorrento she should have looked after her son better then.
it is true you reap what you sow.