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Would you like to live to 100?

(148 Posts)
Chestnut Mon 18-Sep-23 17:14:02

Apparently 'Coastal towns dominate league table for centenarians - as numbers in England and Wales top 13,900 compared to just 110 in 1921'

Wow, that really shows the change in 100 years.

So would you want to be resuscitated if you were in your 90s or would you like to reach 100 (assuming your health is reasonable)? Although can anyone really be in reasonable health at 100, or are they going to be in constant pain one way or another?

Germanshepherdsmum Mon 18-Sep-23 17:25:58

No, I don’t want to live to be 100. I think some people are still in reasonable health and have all their marbles at that age but I wouldn’t be one of them, physically. And call me shallow, but I never want to look like some people of 100 whose pictures I’ve seen, with skin like wrinkled, dried old leather and little or no hair. Let me go before I look repulsive, please.

Knittynatter Mon 18-Sep-23 17:29:23

I don’t want to outlive my children

nanaK54 Mon 18-Sep-23 17:33:23

No thank you!

62Granny Mon 18-Sep-23 17:35:58

My mother lived until she was 95 but the last few years before she passed away she was just not with us mentally and slept a lot , another lady who lived in her nursing home lived till she was 100 and was still quite with it mentally but physically very frail. So in the grand scheme of things I would say no I do not.

silverlining48 Mon 18-Sep-23 17:39:21

There is at least one centenarian on GN and referring to those of 100 as repulsive is uncalled for and unkind.

PamelaJ1 Mon 18-Sep-23 17:40:03

I don’t want to be resuscitated if I am going to live a very unpleasant life even if I haven’t reached 90.
My mum is 95 and still driving, in good health and reasonably active. She does live by the sea!
She has made us promise that if she lives to a 100 and has to go into a home we are never to allow TV cameras to show her doing sitting down dancing!

Sparklefizz Mon 18-Sep-23 17:40:03

Only if I still had all my marbles ... otherwise no.

Primrose53 Mon 18-Sep-23 17:51:06

We always told my Mum she would make 100 but she made almost 97. I remain convinced that she would have made 100 had it not been for the covid regs where we were not allowed to visit. She was distraught and just gave up. She had Alzheimers but it was very slow so we still had some great fun and laughs. Being used to seeing me every other day and then not for several months hastened the Alzheimers and she went in on herself.

She lived most of her married life in a coastal village so I do believe what the report says. Good sea air! There are still several in their late 90s and over 100 in her village.

germanshepherdsmum even though she was a great age she had beautiful thick white hair which the hairdressers always complimented her on. it was washed and blow dried every 2 weeks. Her skin hardly had a wrinkle because she never sunbathed, smoked or drank and ate a good diet (probably helped with the hair too.)

I bought her beautiful modern clothes, shoes and perfume and she always looked a million dollars.

Hetty58 Mon 18-Sep-23 17:53:56

Generally, we're living longer - but with more years in poor health - so no, I don't see the point. If living becomes a miserable existence, full of pain, it's time to go.

Kate1949 Mon 18-Sep-23 17:54:17

Well I've had no hair since I was 58 ish.

Shelflife Mon 18-Sep-23 17:57:36

Yes if I was in reasonable health for a centenarian ( hope I have correct spelling!) Although in reality I probably wouldn't be in reasonable health ! Life is precious and despite it's ups and down I don't want to go !!!! and leave Louis Armstrong's 'Wonderful World' I am fully aware the world is not necessarily wonderful! but the glory of nature helps me deal with what life has thrown at me .

Germanshepherdsmum Mon 18-Sep-23 18:01:30

I would hate to be a burden to my only child. I wouldn’t want him to use precious weekends visiting me.

Callistemon21 Mon 18-Sep-23 18:02:54

silverlining48

There is at least one centenarian on GN and referring to those of 100 as repulsive is uncalled for and unkind.

One has just posted on another thread and seems to have all her wits about her.

She might look lovely too but GN is not on Zoom so I can't tell.

Redhead56 Mon 18-Sep-23 18:14:46

No way I have just reached my 67th year with numerous health issues which be only get worse with age. As others have said I don’t want to be a burden on my family it wouldn’t be fair on them.

Germanshepherdsmum Mon 18-Sep-23 18:17:12

I said ‘some people’, not all. Other posters may reach 100 looking lovely. I very much doubt that I would be one of them. Fine at 72 but who knows what another 28 years might do? I have no genetic reference points beyond 80. I want to bow out before I look like an old crone, which is how I would be remembered, and before I become a burden.

annodomini Mon 18-Sep-23 18:19:12

I'm not making any predictions here, but at present I'm in reasonable health at almost 83, so I'm hoping that if this trend continues, I might make a century not out.

Jackiest Mon 18-Sep-23 18:19:30

If I am physically and mentally fit and healthy I would happily live to a 1000.

CanadianGran Mon 18-Sep-23 18:19:35

No, not really. I think quality of life diminishes and I have no desire to sit in a chair on the sidelines for the last 10 years of my life. Nor do I want to be a burden on either my family or society.

Witzend Mon 18-Sep-23 18:21:27

Good God, no!
I’m relatively lucky, health and mobility wise, but I have enough signs of decrepitude already!
I think I’d be happy with a still-reasonably-able and non-demented 85.

J52 Mon 18-Sep-23 18:22:50

My mother would have been 100 this year. Her only illness was a result of a lifetime of smoking. She may have reached her centenary had she not smoked.
As a non smoker and having no health conditions, I’m interested to see what the future has in store. I’m happy to reach 100 as long as I’m fit and healthy!
Of course there’s alway the ‘the under the bus’ theory.

annsixty Mon 18-Sep-23 18:33:16

I am using my tiny phone at the moment as my ipad needs charging.
If I can I will post a photograph of my mother on her 100th birthday.
She had all her marbles and lived for nearly two years after that.

Whitewavemark2 Mon 18-Sep-23 18:37:21

My mum was 101 when she died, but she wanted to die not long after her 100th birthday. Until that time she seemed perfectly happy with her life.

You know old age isn’t repulsive but it is beautiful. Not in the accepted sense but in the sense that an aged person like your parent has so many memories, they have loved and stood by you the whole of your life, they have laughed with you, cried with you and have accepted you with all your faults. Their wrinkles represent your life and their history. In my mothers case two world wars, the Great Depression, and the post war years. What they wear are the battle scars of life.
Never be ashamed of wrinkles or your age. You are lucky to have got to the age your are, so many don’t get that chance.

Allsorts Mon 18-Sep-23 18:49:23

It depends on how well you age and if you are not lonely. The thing I would dread is outliving my children.

choughdancer Mon 18-Sep-23 18:59:40

My mum will be 101 in October and has been fit and active up until very recently. She walked most days, and although naturally her memory was becoming weaker, she was still doing cryptic crosswords and other puzzles to keep her brain active.

Just over the last few months there has been a great change in her, and she now gets very muddled over who is one of her children, what any of our names are etc. She has forgotten medication, so now she is needing more help, so I go over most mornings.

I do NOT consider her a burden (even though she thinks she is)! I feel privileged to sit with her and listen, to look at photos with her, and ask questions about her life. There are difficulties though as she does not want to feel incapable of some of the things that she needs help with, like showering, and I hate upsetting her.

She has a wonderful bone structure, thick white hair and is beautiful in my opinion.

I know that I will die well before the age of 100, as I have Type 1 diabetes and other illnesses, which fortunately my mum didn't have.