Anyone else's Parents swanning about as if they are immortal?

[Namechange2020onceagain]

Just had a chat with my Mum, she then asked if I want anything from B&Q as they are popping in there tomorrow! This is after they went shopping to Sainsburys this morning and then said they are going again on Friday.

I have said I will get any shopping they need, but they keep going out.

FFS they are both over 70 and my Dad will die if he gets the virus. They are not taking it seriously at all.

Let them live their lives. When it’s your time, it’s your time!
Disgusting selfish attitude. What is wrong with you?

Time to repost as this isn't about YOUR time

Living in a remote part of NZ, there have as yet been no cases within 200 miles of us. However, back in late January, having heard about this new virus in China that was likely to become a world-wide issue, I bought in soap, sanitiser, loo rolls, frozen food, and other essentials, as a precaution. Since then we have been topping up-no panic buying-every week, on our infrequent visits to town. Now, we are equipped for a 2-3 month siege, and will not be going near civilisation unless absolutely necessary. I even have enough loo rolls to post my daughter in Sydney a box. I'm running my U3A courses online for my keen elderly learners. I'm 70, The old Guy is 72, with a range of life-threatening conditions. We have a bit of land, and grow stuff, the neighbours popped over with a bunch of bananas from their garden, we can catch fish from the sea at the end of our place. We have no family nearby, so need to be self-sufficient. Please stop tarring all oldies with the same brush, as many of us are extremely aware of the need to be socially responsible.

Let them live their lives. When it’s your time, it’s your time!
Disgusting selfish attitude. What is wrong with you?

In what way is that even remotely selfish? Selfish, by the way is the most over used word on MN right now. It seem to mean “you don’t agree with me”.

To be fair it would solve the housing crisis and the benefits bill would be slashed....
I'm not bothering to try and persuade my elderly Dad to self-isolate, he has refused to, and he's never listened to anyone's advice before...and he's not going to listen to it now. I would be horrified if he was given ventilation/a hospital bed over a younger person who tried to do the right thing. But it's a gamble isn't it, my Dad is perfectly happy to take that gamble. In his head he is still at the top of his game!

Older people can be just as healthy as younger people. The issue, in my opinion, should be about health rather than age.

If I had a chronic condition or a serious illness, whatever my age, I would be very much more careful than if I was of normal weight, fit and healthy, with excellent mobility and not needing to take medication for BP, cholesterol, etc etc.

FFS my highly educated, professional parents (one an NHS worker) have just offered to drive down to bring me toilet rolls

But it is about age. It's nothing to do with being ageist. It is a fact that the fatality rates are much higher the older you are.

It’s also a fact that the fatality rates are higher in people with health conditions. How many kids with asthma and diabetes are still going to school?

It’s not a fact.

Link

Thing is we are not in vulnerable groups and we are really trying. We have a 13th birthday in our house today. We’ve had a special meal and about to play a game.

My eldest DD is mid 20s. Brought a card over. Said hello from the car and took dinner home in a bag.

13 year old sad. But I’m hcp and that’s how it is.

My Dad said "I don't care, I'll die at home" when I said the beds will be full.

I didn't have the heart to explain how nasty and drawn out this could be.

I'm sorry of course it is partly about age.
Youth & health go hand in hand for the lucky majority.
In general The older you get the frailer you get - obviously peoples baselines are different, but we all decline with age if we get the chance to live past the age of 20.

Middleager

@Alsohuman
In what way is that even remotely selfish?
You really cannot see that someone wilfully going around when they have been told not to, either infecting other people, or taking up NHS resources, beds or ventilators, is not selfish? You cannot see that they are so spoilt, entitled and lacking in moral fibre that they refuse to make any changes?

My mother is as usual being VERY difficult about it all. I am her only ‘carer’ in that she is housebound and has diabetes, Early dementia , haleart problems and is basically very lonely. She relies on me completely and utterly for company, lifts, shopping, medication , everything. She has no friends and no other family. My father is in a care home with late dementia and I know almost certainly that he will die without me seeing him again. I have until today been going over as usual every day to keep her company. Last night I text to say as I think the guidance is really that she’s completely isolated alone, but that I know she won’t cope with that, that if come every other day Instead whilst I am well myself. Well she phoned this evening all depressed and miserable saying it’s the worst day of her life and she’s had a horrible day etc etc and I’m just like fgs I’m trying to keep you from dying you mad old woman ffs give me a break ughhhh. She totally doesn’t get it and if I tell her she then immediately forgets. She just thinks it’s a nuisance and a big old fuss over nothing. I’m so fed up already

I guess I am lucky then. My parents stay home apart from my 69 year old dad who does shopping (no home delivery in my home country). PIL are in total lockdown. They don't go out at all. SIL is bringing food on their doorstep.

I hope they realise that if they fall ill they will not have access to a ventilator. NHS is prioritising them for patients under 40. I’d be very sternly asking how they feel about worst case scenario of dying alone in isolation without access to intensive care. It’s maddening!

You really cannot see that someone wilfully going around when they have been told not to, either infecting other people, or taking up NHS resources, beds or ventilators, is not selfish? You cannot see that they are so spoilt, entitled and lacking in moral fibre that they refuse to make any changes?

I’m assuming that someone who says When it’s your time, it’s your time is pretty philosophical about dying and wouldn’t be making demands on NHS resources, in which case it’s a perfectly realistic and unselfish viewpoint.

As long as they don’t meet anyone else though right

My DM today has been on a bus trip to pick up "essential" craft materials ("its okay, I wore gloves") and went to a cafe to "support them".

Keeps saying BoJo was referring to person over 70 with health problems only for isolation.

I've given up tbh. I'm several hundred miles away so can't do anything.

Just makes me sad and angry.

"or taking up NHS resources, beds or ventilators, is not selfish? You cannot see that they are so spoilt, entitled and lacking in moral fibre that they refuse to make any changes?"

ICU at our local (very very large) hospital is now full, security guards to stop anyone attempting to get in. Hundreds of COVID patients, going to need to be a very special case to get in. Over 60? you are stuffed.
So in a way anyone in a high risk group is not being selfish - they will be left to die if they get sick.

As long as they don’t meet anyone else though right

It’s supposed to be for their benefit, not other people’s, right?

The problem is they could kill that other person you get that?

So skip the fandango just do it alone