Do you find that the older generation are not really taking this seriously?

[MySofaHasACatOnIt]

My parents are in their 60s and are very ‘yeah yeah whatever’ about this. My 90-year-old grandmother has completely poo-pooed my concerns when I suggested she stop going to the library every other day and to stay home if possible. Her response? ‘We managed to live through small pox during the war!’

All of my friends/colleagues who all have parents who are 60 plus have said that they’re not taking this seriously at all, with many thinking they know better than the majority if European governments. Completely not fussed about it, still going to mass gatherings, still traveling etc

Meanwhile people I know in their 30s/20s etc seem genuinely worried, are taking precautions etc. No one is panicking but they are being sensible, whereas the older generation I know are almost treating it all as a joke!

Anyone else finding this?

This isn't my experience at all, OP. My parents are elderly (70s/80s) with multiple underlying health issues. They know that this virus could very likely kill them. They have therefore cancelled travel and non urgent medical appointments, learned how to shop online and will be staying at home as much as possible. We have also agreed to stop visiting them until things get back to normal, as we don't wish to put them at risk. Essentially, as far as possible, they are self-isolating for the foreseeable future, even though they are not actually ill. Other elderly relatives are doing the same.

My younger friends and colleagues are a more mixed picture. Some are anxious and making changes to their daily habits, but others are very gung ho and see the current period as a great opportunity to get bargain travel, theatre tickets etc. Of course, that will change as things become more restricted, but at present, I know a lot of younger people who think that it's just media hype.

I asked my mum today if she wanted to completely self isolate with us only delivering food as he has serious underlying health issues. Her Response was no. She would rather spend any time she has left seeing as much of us as possible and if the worst comes to the worst she will die with the memories rather than feeling alone and helpless. It was a sad chat and we then opened a bottle of the hard stuff and sank a couple!

There's some fab thoughtful young people of course. And there's the bitter, resentful people like Loppy who like to blame everyone else for their problems. Be better than Loppy.

Well said!

My experience personally and professionally is that old people are being very thoughtful about social distancing and reducing risk.

You have to realise the boomer generation are the most spoilt generation there has ever been. They grew up with parents who had been through the horrors of WW2 and wanted to give them everything. They benefited from the postwar house building boom giving them cheap affordable housing, the setting up of the NHS and the modern welfare state, the nationalisation of utilities and trains to allow them cheap bills and travel, decades of high wage growth, with inflation shrinking away their mortgage debts and giving them vast unearned housing wealth. Then proceeded to ensure the next generation could benefit from none of this, while saddling the youth with the enormous bill for their largesse and their triple-locked pensions.

Well that 'generation' includes me and my parents yet none of it applies to any of us. What generalizing nonsense.

Well having read Robert Pestons report, I'd like to know were the military hospitals are? They have all been closed and demolished years ago!

I replied on another thread about my parents, they are early 70’s and couldn’t be less interested, mentioned to my mum earlier that the deaths had doubled, oh have they she casually answered, told her about the infected newborn and she ignored me, I believe they are either terrified and trying to ignore it or simply don’t care.
They went shopping last week and couldn’t understand why there wasn’t any loo roll on the shelves, they read the Daily Mail with headlines about panic buying and the impeding apocalypse and it still hasn’t sunk in! So frustrating because they are both otherwise intelligent people.

I'm in my sixties I'm not panicking but I will follow instructions when they are issued, I'm off to Majorca in seven weeks but fully expect it to be cancelled. I have a chronic illness and am on immunosuppressants, so I'd think I'd be in the at risk group.

When aids was the big scare I was probably late twenties, now that terrified me, I was convinced I was going to die, due to my previous very active sex life.

I wonder if it's an age thing panicking when you're younger and have so many worries/ responsibilities, big mortgages, young children .

It will pass, not everyone will come out of this ok, we need to be kind and support each other and just do our best.

Well that 'generation' includes me and my parents yet none of it applies to any of us. What generalizing nonsense.

I think she's on glue

in 60s and taking it very seriously. My mum in her 90s is housebound anyway so only exposed via carers, cleaner etc. And family visitors. planning to go down and visit to see if all is ok but worried about public transport getting there, would need to travel at quiet time, difficult to know what to do sometimes, as she often needs things doing for her

MIL - 81 years old, mild heart condition, is totally chilled and still going out and about. She told DH she is 'healthy as a horse'. I think she imagines she is still about 25 .

And she's a retired nurse...

How can we rally round as a community to help those quarantined for 4 months, when they are quarantined? It's company they will need.
Maybe carers could set up a skype link to family for those that can manage.
Or like in War times write a letter. Be a good exercise for school kids, adopt a gp.

I don't know if it's 'not taking it seriously' or just 'having a different perspective on it' having lived through really dire times and multiple public health scares.

My dm is in her 80s with COPD. She knows that she's vulnerable, but is still going out to the shops etc. Using hand sanitiser, washing her hands etc.

It's up to her. She lives alone and is already grieving her mobility and independence, and self-isolation would be very harmful to her mental health. I've done online shopping for her in recent years when she's had ops or been poorly, so she knows that she could just stay at home, but doesn't want to.

Mobilising is probably the best thing that she can do for herself health wise tbh. I'm taking my cues from her and planning to visit next week (unless I have active symptoms of course). If she was self-isolating, I wouldn't.

She probably wouldn't survive contracting Covid-19, but she wouldn't survive pneumonia etc either and frankly it's incredible that she's still going after multiple chest infections on top of her COPD.

Yes, we were supposed to be visiting elderly relatives who are very vulnerable health wise this week. We phoned to cancel (obviously!) and they are insisting we come (we won’t) I wonder if for people of their age it’s more of a quality over quantity reasoning, they might only have months to live anyway and they don’t want to spend those in isolation from their loved ones.

I’m nearly 60 but in the at risk group. My friends are all between 59-70 and taking it seriously. 2 are medical doctors. We are still meeting up for now but in each other’s houses as long as we are well. We don’t kiss or hug and we are not going on holiday or to theatres/restaurants/shops or on public transport at busy times. I do think there’s a lot of conflicting advice and confusion as to who needs to take care and what quarantine really entails.

It’s exactly that Sunshine please change your mind, you’re punishing them for being old.

I'm in my 50s. I'm taking this incredibly seriously as are my friends of all age groups. I don't think dividing people by age group serves any purpose. All it does is promote 'othering'.

MIL is 76 and isn't worried at all, she thinks it's all scaremongering. My parents are 75 and 78 and they're taking sensible precautions.

@Loppy10 what a repulsive post.

We told mil to stop going out (75) and asked for her shopping list- she refused to tell us saying she will go shopping every other day now instead of every day fil is just as bad

A 75 year old is not a child. I wouldn't have given you my shopping list either with that attitude.

I've just told my 75 year old Mum about the possibility of her having to isolate for 4 months and she laughed and said there's no way she won't be walking her dogs every day.
Part of me admires her lack of panic but the other part wants to shake her.
I know if it was the under 10's that had to isolate she'd be barricading the grandkids in and listening to every piece of advice.

Fundamentally I disagree with forcing anybody to isolate, and I certainly dont think the elderly are incapable of making their own decisions.

However I find the 'hey ho, I've had my life so I will do what I want' attitude quite selfish. Just because theyve lived a full life doesnt mean everyone else has. Yes most people that die from the virus are elderly - but not all. Some will be younger people with serious illnesses and conditions. Therefore we all have a duty to limit its spread as much as possible. The elderly are (mainly) in a prime position to isolate as they dont work. Doesnt mean life stops, you can still go for walks, chat to people on the phone, read, potter in the garden etc. Its not prison and it wont be forever.

Also, if they do get sick, who will they be expecting to look after them? Either very overstretched hospitals or most likely their younger family, putting them at risk as well.

That being said, my elderly grandparents are taking it seriously and are staying at home and having food etc delivered. I'm sure the majority of the elderly are following guidelines and aware of their role in protecting others, just like all age groups.

I don't really get this idea that people can live their best life while they can over the next few weeks or months. They would probably be getting unwell, seeing friends get sick, trying to cope with a society in absolute crisis and tragedy. But I do understand the the idea in more normal times.

The older people I know have all really curtailed their activities, none are out and about to the extent they were and some hardly at all. It's really sad, but I fear the alternative may be much worse. What a terrible situation.

I've just told my 75 year old Mum about the possibility of her having to isolate for 4 months and she laughed and said there's no way she won't be walking her dogs every day

She can still walk her dogs every day. Many days I walk ours and don’t see a soul. She needs the exercise and fresh air and so do her dogs.