Life expectancy

[telstarbox]

How long do you think you will live for and if different, what age do you expect to die at? Are you scared of death or embracing it?

 

[dangie]

One would say of course as long as possible. However there would be a proviso on this. As long as possible only if you were still able to enjoy life. I'm nearly 72 so have to say most of my life is behind me. I have a target of 85. Beyond that every day would be a bonus.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Both grandmothers died aged 78. Maternal grandfather 95. Paternal grandfather 59(railway worker crushed by engineers train). Father died 81 and mother still alive at 88. Law of averages and genetics say I will live another 18 years until I am 83.

I don’t fear death but I would not say I am embracing it either.

 

[birchesgreen]

I don't really care when i die to be honest as long as its sudden.

 

[Typhoon]

Following the recent demise of two of my nephews (40s), I have traced back male relatives to 1800, very few lived beyond 72. Women - both grandmother's well into their 80s, the sister of one 89. my mother 96.

The difference s that many of the men had factory jobs. Seeing photographs of one grandfather a couple of years apart about the time he retired, it looked like they were a decade apart at least. He looked absolutely worn out. I'm not saying that the work was harder (most women would have been at home - raising children, and housework without many of the current devices) but the environment certainly was, I passed it every day on the way to school and the noise convinced me that was not the life for me (and that was from outside). Looking through broken factory windows and cleaning the swarf from my father's work shoes didn't convince me otherwise. Some of the men also had unhealthy lifestyles (booze, fags).

I'm not frightened of death, but I am s**t scared of dying. I have seen people in absolute pain and I can do without that, and I don't want to be in some care home, propped up in front of a telly, watching I know not what, dribbling, being talked to like I was aged five, alongside others in a similar position. That is not living.

When I can no longer get out and about will do me.

 

[Acey]

Not scared of dying,just don't want to be there when it happens,anyway death is only bad for those who are still living !

 

[AlterEgo]

I'll probably get to about 80, I'm not scared of death or dying. I would prefer to die of a short illness where I can come to terms with the end rather than something sudden.

 

[DC1989]

I read a recrnt interview with a oncologist, he said that he plans from the age of 75 to turn down any efforts to extend his life. That is, no flu / covid jabs, if he were diagnosed with cancer he would turn down treatment etc.

Any deaths under 75 are considered premature deaths, so when you look at cancer survival rates and heart disease rates they often separate them by under 75's and over.

It would be great for medical science to get us to a point where 99.9% of us survive into good health until at least 75. After that it becomes a bit of a lottery

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Not scared of dying, just don't want to be there when it happens, anyway death is only bad for those who are still living !

So true. I was told about 10 years ago, funerals are about the living not the dead.

 

[dangie]

It would be great for medical science to get us to a point where 99.9% of us survive into good health until at least 75. After that it becomes a bit of a lottery

A simple change of lifestyle would for many achieve that. It doesn’t need medical science, it just needs people to become more responsible for their own health.

Yes I know, this doesn’t apply to everyone. There are many whose ill health is not of their own making, but for many it is.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

One would say of course as long as possible. However there would be a proviso on this. As long as possible only if you were still able to enjoy life.

I'm in agreement with this. In my case, for example I'm not bothered about healthy eating - I'll eat what I like to eat because I'd rather have a few years enjoying that than aiming to be 100 if it meant eating bland, tasteless, boring stuff just because it's better for me. If I make 100 anyway, I'll have enjoyed myself much more in the meantime. If I don't make 100, then I'll have still enjoyed myself in the meantime.

Realistically, I'm mid 50s now so I'd hazard a guess that I'll likely conk out in about 20 - 30 years time, which does mean that a lot of the rolling stock being introduced now will likely outlast me ( DfT silliness notwithstanding!! )

 

[dangie]

…..which does mean that a lot of the rolling stock being introduced now will likely outlast me…..

I’m nearly 72. I said a couple of years ago I hoped to see HS2 up and running. That is now way out of my lifespan.

 

[Trackman]

Both grandmothers died aged 78. Maternal grandfather 95. Paternal grandfather 59(railway worker crushed by engineers tarsi). Father died 81 and mother still alive at 88. Law of averages and genetics say I will live another 18 years until I am 83.

I don’t fear death but I would not say I am embracing it either.

The male side of my family aint bad, but the female side has a poor record.
My mother who passed away 18 months ago broke the family record on her side of the family by 3 years aged 75 and was happy about it when she broke the record!

I don't really care when i die to be honest as long as its sudden.

That would be my answer too.
The way I think about mortality is you have to be born in order to die, if that makes any sense.

 

[Snow1964]

Not scared of death, is a certainty one day.
Would be happy to live to 80, anything over is a bonus.

However when my time comes, hope it is quick, don't want to gradually lose my mind over number of years and be aware of it.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

This is a family forum so I am going to be careful - but there was a fantastic scene in Game of Thrones - How would you like to die Tyrion son of Tywin? And he answers 'In my own bed, at the age of 80 with a belly full of wine and a ---------------- redacted because I don't want to get banned. I thought it was brilliantly and amusingly stated.

 

[Gloster]

I spent a year in care home a few years back and I have sworn that I will never go back into one unless it was for a short period of recuperation. I will continue to enjoy my life, although the aftereffects of what put me in the home limit me a bit for the moment. You only live once, so you should make it worthwhile: enjoy your life but try not to hurt others.

In the time I worked on the railway I saw one chap who died in the week he was due to retire (admittedly, he knew he was dying and kept going to ensure his wife got the full allowance of priv. tickets so she that could see their spread out family) and several others who died within a week or two, even only days, of retirement. I also knew somebody in the 1980s (not railway) who sold his business for over £1 million net., but had a heart attack within ten days, even though he was in his late fifties, and was bedridden until he died.

Regarding the original question, I have no idea. Most of my family have lived into their late seventies at least, but they generally seem to have avoided work that wears people out before their time. My somewhat, sorry, very dissolute lifestyle has probably counterbalanced my ability to avoid overworking myself. I am not hurrying death along, but when it comes I will accept it and will not hang on desperately and end up lying in a bed with the radio on in the background and having everything done for me. If things get bad, I have twenty bottles of cheap red wine in the garage.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

If things get bad, I have twenty bottles of cheap red wine in the garage.

I have a bottle of absinthe! That is serious stuff. Hemmingway invented 'Death in the afternoon" cocktail which is absinthe diluted with champagne. I think that is what I will have if things get close to the end!

 

[PeterY]

I'm in agreement with this. In my case, for example I'm not bothered about healthy eating - I'll eat what I like to eat because I'd rather have a few years enjoying that than aiming to be 100 if it meant eating bland, tasteless, boring stuff just because it's better for me. If I make 100 anyway, I'll have enjoyed myself much more in the meantime. If I don't make 100, then I'll have still enjoyed myself in the meantime.

Realistically, I'm mid 50s now so I'd hazard a guess that I'll likely conk out in about 20 - 30 years time, which does mean that a lot of the rolling stock being introduced now will likely outlast me ( DfT silliness notwithstanding!! )

I have the same thoughts. I eat far from healthily but what I do eat I want to enjoy.

Both my parents died at 86 but in their last 3 years, the quality of life wasn't great for them health wise. I now 65 and I'm now forced to work until I'm 66 and to be honest I'm ready for retirement now. I do a physical job. I think the government are trying to finish me off.

A good friend once said to me "live each day as though it's your last because one day it will be"

 

[birchesgreen]

I could go two ways, on my Dad's side its not that good. My Dad died when he was 72 after decades of heart trouble, his younger brother died in his mid-60s. On my Mum's side, well she is nearly 90. Her older brother only just passed away (92) and her younger brother (85) is still going strong.

So hopefully i will take my mum's side and continue to plague this forum for a number of decades to come.

 

[3141]

My Dad died of a heart attack at 63, my mother kept going till 89. No clear answer there! I'm 83 now, I had a heart attack in 2000 and the drugs that have helped me keep going weren't available in my father's time. But I now have prostate cancer which has spread to my left thigh. The drugs I take for that seem to have got it under control, and the oncologist said they should prevent it getting any worse for five years on average. That was 15 months ago. I still cannot estimate when I'm likely to die, though I'm not making plans for when I might be 100. If I "embrace" death when it happens, it will either be because I've become incapacitated and don't want to have to continue, or because I've followed Adrian Shooter's example and arranged to bring things to an end.

 

[Busaholic]

Don't want to get too personal. but I've recently made a decision not to have elective surgery that I'm due to have because if it didn't go in the best possible way, which is frankly unlikely given my 'underlying conditions', I might well not be able to return to my own home for a long time, if ever again. I've just received the report from the only major hospital in my area into the circumstances surrounding my wife's stay in this unit a year ago which ended in her sudden death. It was their own volition to produce it, but it revealed a catalogue of errors, omissions and neglect of procedures. Those words are not my impression, but the actual words used. The phrase 'systemic failure' occurs many times, along with promises to 'learn from mistakes.' I was surprised by the candid nature of the admissions, but I indicated from the start of the process that though I welcomed it happening I had no evidence to bring to it nor would I be countenacing any legal or other action as a result of it. What happened happened, and dissecting it will neither bring her back nor bring peace of mind to me.

Having said that, I intend to die at 81 so I can come back and say 'see, I told you that'd be my age'. That gives me another six or seven years.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Well, speaking as someone who has just turned 63, I would expect to last for at least another seven ye

 

[david1212]

One would say of course as long as possible. However there would be a proviso on this. As long as possible only if you were still able to enjoy life. I'm nearly 72 so have to say most of my life is behind me. I have a target of 85. Beyond that every day would be a bonus.

I don't really care when i die to be honest as long as its sudden.

Likewise. Both my parents lost a reasonable quality of life a long time before death. My mother had cancer and endured chemotherapy. I don't know how much it extended her life but at most not much over a year. My father had a series of strokes over nearly two years. The third around 15 months before he died age 83 took away any quality of life.

One of my mother's brothers developed alzheimers / dementia and died age 73. While the cancer was dominant looking back I have pondered if my mother also had dementia. The other brother had just one stroke around age 65 which put him in a wheelchair. Fortunately his wife could drive and managed to give him a reasonable quality of life. He lived the longest not far short of 80.

Based on all of this my life expectancy is likely to be less than the current average of 87.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...ns/nationallifetablesunitedkingdom/2018to2020

In 2020, the most common age or “modal age” at death was 87.1 years for males and 89.3 years for females in England and Wales.

I have known several people who have died age 65 - 70. Back 15 years ago someone came to work where I am employed age 62-3. They said 'I could have retired but chosen to work another 2 years for a better retirement'. Just over 12 months later they died ...

This cemented my planning of living modestly to build up my pension and retire around age 60 with the hope of having a decent period of good quality life not least days out and holiday. Even without any issues debatable if realistically I would be able to still independently do this safely and confidently much after age 75. Directly OT but the sharp rise in costs particularly energy while any investment gain is far behind inflation has realistically delayed my retirement as planned.

If soon after I do retire for whatever reason I loose my independence I will not be happy using my funds for my care instead. A trip to Switzerland like Adrian Shooter would be very tempting. At least my chosen beneficiaries would get the balance of my funds and after sale costs the value of this house.

 

[Darandio]

Well, speaking as someone who has just turned 63, I would expect to last for at least another seven ye

Read this reply when it was posted a few days ago but only just cottoned on when i've viewed it again. Brilliant!

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Read this reply when it was posted a few days ago but only just cottoned on when i've viewed it again. Brilliant!

You're too kind.
Well, my posts are all coming from the Afterlife from now on...
Not sure where I've ended up, but the fact that the entire national rail system has been handed over to a reborn Connex Southeastern who have put all services on rail replacement buses while they reinstate a national fleet of Pacers to operate nationwide makes me suspicious that I've ended up in The Other Place.
Oh, and Stephen Byers is Transport Secretary for life, with Chris Grayling as his deputy...