Over 70s

Chameleon
I’m so sorry for your loss

Will turning 70 in 2 months time put me in the over 70's category ??

A question for all those who say they will go out and are prepared to take their chance.

In the 5 days before symptoms show you will have infected many other people. Some of them will be very ill, some of them will die. Some of them may be the family you are desperate to see.

Some of your family may be infected by another person just like you, who wants to be out and doing. Even if you decline medical treatment you will want doctors and nurses to put their lives at risk to treat the people you love.

Please try to think beyond your own wants to the devastating effect your actions may have on others.

100% agree

Good morning. I'm 58 with diabetes,overweight and increasingly confused by the situation! Initially diabetics told to self isolate for 12 weeks,but then we were just recommended to stringently socially distance etc. I work in care so that impossible. I'm currently not at work but unsure if will get SSP as not really sick as such. My GP strongly advised against work,but admitted there was no official advice however much it was needed.
In many ways I'm lucky,I have no mortgage,a house with a garden and a daughter nearby and a small amount of savings.
I think initially i was quite optimistic BUT:
I feel increasingly despondent at how the Government is handling this. It's an extraordinary situation but they appear increasingly inadequate.
I increasingly am wary of their advice. Yes,if you over 70 however fit you may be your immune system is less effective.
Groups of people have been told to self isolate/shield but the resources to support them inconsistent. I joined the 750 thousand volunteers to do phone calls. Still havent received an alert. I know from support group for volunteers on facebook it is very patchy. Yes its early days but concerning.
I work with older people and although not at work am in touch. Although publicity has stopped it I was horrified to learn that not only would covid patients be allowed into nursing/care homes for end of life care but homes were being forced to take them. The idea being to free up NHS resources. It almost certainly was a dealth sentence to the other residents.
I've always strongly believed this virus is more contagious than we are really told and that precautions told to take outside of home barely effective but maybe make us feel in control.
As time goes by there seem fewer stories of people having a mild virus. People either seem to be asymptomatic carriers extremely ill with a long recuperation period if they survive.
I increasingly feel people have to make their own carefully considered choices.
I feel those over 70 are probably more at risk themselves than to others and have been told to self isolate and then often just left to it.
The government has shown no concern for all of those in the shielded/vulnerable groups in past decade so I have a horrible feeling their current concern is lip service but behind cabinet doors we are acceptable less.
Although I have always avoided it I recommend joining Facebook. It is a very good source of local groups and businesses that can help with food delivery etc. Supermarket delivery is impossible even if previous customer. That said I have an Iceland delivery arriving today between 9pm and 11pm that unexpectedly got when logged in. They do at least have random slots weekly unlike other supermarkets.
Personally although less optimistic I feel all I can do is see what next month or so holds and take it day by day. My grandchilderen live near London and so only see them every few months,but I accept I may not see them for a very long time in person.
If I was in my 80s,or 90s or had a terminal illness maybe I would take the risk.

Regarding Sainsbury’s I phoned their helpline as I found it difficult to get a slot. I explained that I fall into the ‘elderly’ category and they said they would make a note and I’ve been lucky to get some shopping slots since. You have to keep trying at odd times through the day.

I for one will not be happy, inconvenient, but resigned to what will be will be.My chicks flew the nest to far away lands many moons ago so am used to few and far between visits. We will adapt as we have before, not forgetting years of war many will remember, then temporary social isolation is a piece of cake in comparison. No doubt there will be 'moans and groans'. Tough, get used to it.

Well, there is talk of being able to see close relatives, that would make Lockdown much more manageable, seeing my 4 year old GD and getting cuddles from my 6 year old GS who has Down Syndrome. On the other hand I realise I am lucky to be able to communicate with them and my daughters via Facetime. I'll stick it out, there is light at the end of the tunnel!

_ABSOLUTELY, DEFINITELY, UNEQUIVOCALLY...NO_

It isn't as simple as that Gwenisgreat1

No, we won't be prepared to be incarcerated for another 12 months, unless we are allowed to move house during that time.
All contracts signed and ready to be dated, just waiting for restrictions to be lifted for completion date.
It's this that is causing us more stress than any other aspect of isolation. Our new property is the ideal house in every single respect and we just need to be there

Many of the people who've died (not passed away or lost) were overweight. That is a fact besides any underlying issues they may have had.

As I have said on many other threads here on this subject, over 70 is a grab all to make all older people stay in until we either die from starvation, loneliness, falling over & staying down or becoming really mentally ill through too much stress at being alone for long periods of time!
Personally I do not do well with being locked up. I got 'the letter' but have no idea why as my disability is life limiting not life threatening. At 75 I was still fairly active & saw family & friends regularly. At my age how much longer have I got before something takes me off? Will I ever see my Grandchildren again if I have to be locked up like a prisoner for another year to 18 months! I will probably have gone sat on the beach waiting for the tide to come in by then! Even if a vaccine is found tomorrow that works perfectly there will be civil war if any old person is given it ahead of all the young entitled people who will want it first. They have many years ahead of them & we will be deprived of our last few years with our families! Do not remember being so selfish & hating old people when I was 20-40 years old. They will be old one or will they consider themselves immune to old age?

No, lincolnimp not need you want to be there. It might be ideal in every respect but would it be ideal if your OH (or you) contracted the virus and died.. eh?

Yes sure, there are many worse things than being in my own home, relaxed and enjoying the small pleasures and if it keeps me alive and drawing my pension until the end of my natural life, why on Earth not

Please sign up to this statement:

I am happy for members of my family to die so that people like me can have a day out.

Anybody want to sign?

When you have walked a mile in someonelses' shoes then you can comment. Some people who still have their partners are so smug, but they will be on their own one day.

GabriellaG54 for reasons I won't go into we do NEED to move there

I think I might be shielding for next 12-18 months. I’m 60 but with no vaccine or cure in sight I can’t take the risk especially as a parent. It’s not ideal but I want to live.

Surely impossible to generalise. If all over 70s stayed at home for another year the loss in 'volunteering' would be felt extremely widely and maybe lead to it own pressures on caring services.
Also, I don't think over 70s are more likely than others to catch the virus in the first place (just more severely affected by it if they do), so the risks of them transmitting it are no greater than for other peopl doing so. Some comments here that I don't quite follow.
Also again, isn't it early days for such stark discussions? We were originally told to stay at home for 12 weeks and are barely half way through that. By mid June more or us may be at the end of our tether and others may be even more frightened. And who knows what half way measures might be introduced later in the summer.

I don’t mind staying home if I have too but I am very worried we will starve.Can’t get a food delivery from anywhere.
Got up at 4am to go to the loo night before last and thought
I would just check Tesco site couldn’t believe it .The site was blocked because too many folk were trying to get a spot,at 4 am are we all going barmy.
We are both at the end of over 70 and I have three primary cancers and my DH has diabetes but we aren’t on any priority list so when my store cupboard and freezer are empty Don’t know what we will do.
All our neighbours are elderly except for two doctors who don’t seem to be coming home for more than a few hours, bless them they must be exhausted.

Elagtine21 11.37. Says it all.

Some people still do not get it, does not matter if you are fit and healthy your immune system is not as strong as a younger person,you are not being kept in as a punishment,you are more likely to catch it and then pass it on.

You may have signed a waiver not to treat, means nothing by the way, but that will not stop you infecting others.

I'm just as 'entitled' to live to the end of my natural life as any 30yr old.
I'm no martyr, giving up being attended to by NHS staff so that a 30yr old can be treated and carry on drink-driving or being an irresponsible father or existing on
benefits or any one of numerous irresponsible lifestyle choices which further drain social resources.

Nobody’s signed up yet rosenoir

You’re right, they just don’t get it and want to face up to the reality.

Not happy but resigned.