Does Your Parental Longevity Effect Your Retirement Plans? (grandparent, alcoholism, friendly)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My father died a few weeks after a car accident at age 56. My mother is 85 and her Alzheimer's has recently advanced to where she needs to be in a care unit now. Three out of 8 maternal aunts also suffered a similar diagnosis and died in their late 80s-90. I'll retire as soon as I can at FRA only because that's when I can afford to; otherwise, I would have sooner. So, yes, it would have had some bearing on my decision but that's out of my control. All my relatives were physically in good shape.
There was a post here not too long ago that I can't currently find that helped prove the idea that people are not necessarily living longer today than they did 200 years ago. The founding fathers overall, lived well into their 70s, 80s, and some into their 90s. Their average age of death was the same as at least the last 7-8 Presidents.
Many people have always lived to ripe old ages even in Roman times. What happens now, when the average life expectancy of someone 200 years ago or 1000 years ago is calculated, they don't take into consideration that many children died during the first few years of their lives and at birth. Also, there was a significant percentage of women that died at young ages in childbirth bringing the average life expectancy down.
The obstacle 200 years ago was to get past your childhood and you had a good chance of living to be old. Remember too, people back then were probably overall healthier than we are now. Most people had physical jobs, worked on farms and stayed fit, this included women. Being overweight was probably considered a luxury and limited to people that were well off financially. Also diseases like cancer were not nearly as common as they are today.
That's my take on the age thing and people living longer now than they ever did. I think it's made up for the most part for various reasons.
On my Dad's side, everyone has lived until at least 83 and several lived over 100. On my Mom's side, not one lived beyond 65. I just try to live a healthy life and hope to get as long as possible because it's so great having new babies come into the family and I'm still loving life at 67.
I've always felt that I've got lots of time left, now 66, being my grandmother made it to 102, my Dad to 96, grandfather to 89, mother to 86.
My partner's grandfather died in his early 50's and his Dad died in his 40's, from heart attacks, and he died at 39, but from AIDS.
In a recent bio of Adlai Stevenson, who ran for President in 1952 and 1956:
"Governor, it cannot go on like this," Dr. Lax told him sternly, "You have to stop this way of living, even if it means to resign as Ambassador. You are on a suicidal course."
After looking at him for a moment, Adlai smiled and replied: "How do you know I want to live long? My father died at the age of 60, my mother at 65. I'm now 65; that will be enough for me."
And he died of a heart attack within the next year!
Question: Does this ring a bell with anyone? Your viewpoints of retirement longevity/planning effected by the death of your parents and/or ancestors?
Our fine Governor lived to about his life expectancy. Today, 65 is shockingly young to die, but in 1965 it wasn't.
I don't expect to live to 103, the age at which my grandfather died, but it is more than a passing thought when I budget for retirement.
I don't take into account the ages that any relative died. However, after the accident, there was a vision. And I was told that it was not my time to die, but that I would die at age 92 in a hospital setting of a heart attack. I was shown the moment.
I later told this to the psychiatrist who was assigned to me. He told me that it was a hallucination. Nonetheless, I plan for age 92 or later.
the idea that people are not necessarily living longer today than they did 200 years ago. The founding fathers overall, lived well into their 70s, 80s, and some into their 90s. Their average age of death was the same as at least the last 7-8 Presidents.
George Washington died at age 67 of incompetent medical care. He had pneumonia and bronchitis, and needed a humidifier. Antibiotics would probably have helped, if they were available, but they probably weren't really needed. The medical care he got consisted of things like draining some of his blood to reduce his blood pressure.
People often live longer now just by having better medical care than back then. But not always. Incompetence is eternal.
I plan to live to at least 100. If I don't, it won't matter, because dead people don't care how old they are.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
