Longevity with no life nor dignity

@allknowing (130088)
India
March 13, 2023 4:02am CST
Living beyond the age of 90 plus has become more a rule than an exception these days. Science has helped the world to raise the percentage of the aged in leaps and bounds. But it has done that at the cost of their life and dignity. If you look around you will see most beyond the age of 80 plus need assistance and that assistance may come from maids as family members would have left the shores seeking greener pastures. Old age homes are a far cry when it comes to getting the love and concerned the aged should actually receive. There is one thing no one forgets and that is to celebrate milestone birthdays even though the concerned person would have lost their memory and totally bedridden. What is your opinion on this? Image Credit:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jaswant_Singh_Kanwal_in_bed_ridden_condition.jpg
8 people like this
7 responses
@arunima25 (84953)
• Bangalore, India
13 Mar 23
My grandparents lived upto ripe age of 97 and 99 staying active and productive. If I am like that, I would love to live beyond 100. Else not.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130088)
• India
13 Mar 23
The main casualty is the memory and if they had theirs yes I too would want to live that long and family members extended or otherwise should be there but that is not possible unless one lives in a joint family concept
@allknowing (130088)
• India
13 Mar 23
There is also the issue of family members having to spend time with them which is normally not available what with their own worries specially if they are not living under the same roof
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (84953)
• Bangalore, India
14 Mar 23
@allknowing That is very true. Now with the current socioeconomic structure, loneliness is the main concern. Not only elderly, all age groups are facing it. Elderly are less mobile and hence suffer the most.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (71573)
• United States
14 Mar 23
Nursing homes are pretty awful places to live but there isn’t always an alternative. One just visiting their loved ones won’t be aware of how it is just those like myself who have worked in them know.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (71573)
• United States
14 Mar 23
@allknowing these places are understaffed, underpaid and over worked.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130088)
• India
14 Mar 23
Something needs to be done so that old age is handled better.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130088)
• India
14 Mar 23
@shaggin Science has just increased one's longevity and that's it I have heard how these set ups are run and for some it is a money making outlet
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (84363)
• Wheat Ridge, Colorado
13 Mar 23
Well it is life, you either suffer it or check out.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130088)
• India
13 Mar 23
I am sure science can come out with something that can solve this.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130088)
• India
14 Mar 23
@RebeccasFarm You said it. There is so much nonsense going on
1 person likes this
• Wheat Ridge, Colorado
14 Mar 23
@allknowing They should instead of wasting time on things
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246452)
• United States
13 Mar 23
Live and let live! We have wills that specify when to pull the plug. I wouldn't enjoy living if I were a vegetable and a burden to my family. However, our laws and religions don't give us the right to die when we'd want to.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130088)
• India
13 Mar 23
Very few seniors remain healthy till the end and their inability to live a normal life putting a burden on those around needs a serious thought by those who can change the scenario.
• China
13 Mar 23
This is a difficult problem that cannot be solved, so sometimes we can only accept our fate.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130088)
• India
13 Mar 23
When science is making strides in so many directions they could spend time on this.
@allknowing (130088)
• India
14 Mar 23
@zhangxueying They should.
• China
14 Mar 23
@allknowing I hope it can be done in the future.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (13060)
• Hong Kong
13 Mar 23
For me, quality of life matters most. I don't want to live a long life if I need to totally rely on someone to take care of me.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130088)
• India
13 Mar 23
But how to ensure this?
1 person likes this
@Beestring (13060)
• Hong Kong
14 Mar 23
@allknowing Well, just try to live a healthy lifestyle. Then leaves it to fate.
@pumpkinjam (8451)
• United Kingdom
18 Mar 23
My job entails working as part of the adult social care network so I've seen all sorts! There are good care homes and bad just as there are different types of carers. Some absolutely lovely and really care for the people like their own. Others who do it because it's a job. We've also had a surprisingly high number of people contacting either for themselves or others who are well into their 90s or even 100s and are asking for help for the first time because they're still bright and sprites. On the other hand, there are people much younger whose health and quality of life is relatively poor. I have no trouble with people living longer but I do agree this is only really a good thing if the quality of that long life can be kept. My husband has said something similar. He is in his 50s with somewhat poor health. The best he can hope for is that his conditions remain stable. He wouldn't want to continue existing for another 50 years just to live his life in pain.