What this sunny, religious town in California teaches us about living longer (moving to, complaints)

[pathrunner]

Loma Linda is a lovely little town, used to get my dental work done decades ago at the dental school, I'd live there even with the smog and traffic (I-10, especially lately). However, I'm not interested in living longer. I can understand why some people want to, but are they old yet? I used to want to live a long, long life. Then I got old. Nahhhh, not anymore. I'm fine with the average life expectancy for females. Have been around too many very elderly to want to live that long.

[pathrunner]

Originally Posted by arctictropical

I'd want to have a long life around my pets and not part with them.

Well so far I've had a pretty long life, with my pets of (1) 11-/2 years and (2) almost 10 (in October).

[pathrunner]

Originally Posted by arctictropical

There're people who stay active and keep a sharp mind well into long years, including 100 y.o and I had met such people.
There're also people who end up dying in horrible shape at age 70.
Some of it is genetics, and some of it how the person had treated themselves throughout life.
Everyone is different, don't see a point in generalizations.

My dad is 100 and 6 months, and yes he's active (walks a mile a day with his walker - on city streets) and reads 2 books a week, and has a very sharp mind. Only a small amount of memory issues.

I think with my dad it's both genetics and treating his body well. Unfortunately, some people don't want to live to 100. I am one of them, but I have both the genetics and treating my body well. Doesn't bode well for my exiting at the average life expectancy for females, which is what I would prefer.

Originally Posted by Heron31

Good point, pathrunner. My dad recently died at age 100. He was nearly blind from macular degeneration. Nealy deaf. All his joints - everything hurt. Extreme age affects the brain much like traumatic brain injury. Death was a relief at that point.

I am sorry for your loss, but glad he's out of that misery. One of the reasons I am moving back to my home state is that I want to be near my dad until the end - whenever that is. His new goal is 105 - a 105-yr-old new lady just moved in to his facility and she's in great shape!

[Igor Blevin]

Longevity is overrated. Quality of life is key.

I would rather be a world class superstar like Tom Brady married to a supermodel and die at 50, than be a normal working class slob that is always money limited and live to a boring 100 years old of monotonous daily "existence", rather than living. I don't see the thrill in another day and another of boring same old, same old aches and pains and low quality of life.

[pathrunner]

This is very true. My dad lost his wife 9 years ago and never thought he'd last this long. They had a great life together with lots of travel and activities until she passed away 10 days after her 90th birthday. My dad doesn't have a bad life, in fact it's pretty good, but it sure isn't what he once had not that long ago. If he didn't read a lot of quality books and watch TV and movies, and converse with the other residents, he'd have a life you describe.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by pathrunner

My dad is 100 and 6 months, and yes he's active (walks a mile a day with his walker - on city streets) and reads 2 books a week, and has a very sharp mind. Only a small amount of memory issues.

I think with my dad it's both genetics and treating his body well. Unfortunately, some people don't want to live to 100. I am one of them, but I have both the genetics and treating my body well. Doesn't bode well for my exiting at the average life expectancy for females, which is what I would prefer.



I am sorry for your loss, but glad he's out of that misery. One of the reasons I am moving back to my home state is that I want to be near my dad until the end - whenever that is. His new goal is 105 - a 105-yr-old new lady just moved in to his facility and she's in great shape!

I think whether or not it's worth living that long depends a lot on whether one's chances are good of doing so in good shape, good health, sound mind. That makes all the difference. If you have the right genes and have taken care of yourself, why not, pathrunner? QOL is important. Quality, not quantity just for the sake of a high count.

And of course, IMO it helps to have something to live for: a cause to contribute to, whether the community or something above and beyond the immediate community. It helps to have a reason for keeping yourself going, something to motivate you.

[pathrunner]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

I think whether or not it's worth living that long depends a lot on whether one's chances are good of doing so in good shape, good health, sound mind. That makes all the difference. If you have the right genes and have taken care of yourself, why not, pathrunner? QOL is important. Quality, not quantity just for the sake of a high count.

And of course, IMO it helps to have something to live for: a cause to contribute to, whether the community or something above and beyond the immediate community. It helps to have a reason for keeping yourself going, something to motivate you.

For me, it's finances and lack of very much family. Those things greatly contribute to quality of life, especially as we age. My dad has far more family paying attention and helping than I ever will. And more money, too.

[pathrunner]

Not sure what you are saying. Are you saying that peoplare complaining that they want to live longer in a place where they actually can and do? Or are you saying that people shouldn't necessarily be complaining about being able to or likely to live longer because of where they live?

I think it depends on each person's set of circumstances, and anyway we don't get to decide our time of death -- unless we take matters into our own hands, which most people don't do.

[pathrunner]

Do you spend any time at all around the very elderly? I have, in addition to my 100 yr old father. He is very healthy, reads 2 books a week, walks a mile a day, has social interaction and family watching over him. Right now he's at church because someone takes him every week. He interacts with the other congregants. He's happy. But he's ready to go. Anytime. He's been that way for 9 years, after the death of his wife. However, he doesn't sit around being depressed.

I've met and spent time with other extremely elderly people, at a very large retirement home. These are people with plenty of money. They have comfortable lives. They are ready to go. They have health problems, they are isolated because family doesn't visit often or at all, and they have hearing problems that interfere with social interaction.

Your statement about depression is much too broad.

And why do you care whether people want to go or not? They have the right to their feelings. If I don't want to live to a very, very ripe old age, that's my prerogative to feel that way. I'm not "complaining." I'm "stating." Two very different things.

[pathrunner]

Originally Posted by arctictropical

I had worked as a caregiver.
If someone is having death wishes without terminal illness they need urgent help and may be a different kind of care.

Oh, come on. Having a "death wish" is different than "being ready to go."

Being ready to go doesn't mean someone is suicidal. It means what it says: Ready. To. Go.