Should we ask over 60s to stay in?

growstuff, I was talking about over 60s who are still in work (rather than retired)!

There are 1.31 million over 65s in work - so how many over 60s?

www.theguardian.com/society/2019/dec/31/over-65s-to-account-for-over-half-of-employment-growth-in-next-10-years

No way and who on earth cares for elderly Mum in the meantime. I am also fit, not over weight with no underlying conditions, no meds and will carry on as normally as possible while taking reasonable precautions.

Only if they are vulnerable

The only problem with this suggestion, Kitty Lester, is that if you were to need hospitalisation there would be no nurses to administer the treatment you would need to stay alive. Two thirds of frontline nurses are looking at changing jobs and by making all the nurses over 60 stay at home you would have given those under 60 the opportunity to move away from the front line. The NMC say that 1/3 registered nurses are aged between 57 and 66 and due to retire within 10 years. I’m only referring to one healthcare profession but the same will occur in all the other key professions and key worker jobs. Once you say that people over a certain age are not worthy, whatever they are now doing, then they are not worth keeping alive. If you believe the cut off age is 60, then you at 71, have no hope of survival.

I find this a dreadful idea. We do what we can to stay well and think of others but I think by saying people of a certain age should stay in when they are fit is a recipe for a rise in mental illness. What about those who live alone? At least in the Spring we had lighter nights, could be in the garden and see our neighbours.Now with the darker days and bad weather not being able to go out could be a recipe for disaster.
I like to go out for a walk. It's good meeting dog walkers . It's also good to go to the local supermarket (wearing mask of course ). My answer to the original post question is definitely NO.BTW I am 82, but that to me is a number.

Hard decision, 60 is still relatively young.
The cases in our area are rising rapidly - over 130 yesterday. I am over 70 and just being extra careful. I would hate to be confined to the house.

It is getting scary round here isn't it dragonfly and particularly where DS1 lives.

I know kitty I check the figures every day. You are probably safer than we are as we are surrounded by students. It is not their fault and I wonder why students weren't allowed to stay at home.

No, definitely not. We take sensible precautions but want to live our lives. We are mid-sixties, fit and healthy, and most importantly provide childcare for our daughter. It would probably do a few people good to actually go out and about, rather than obsessing about Covid. At present the problem is all the cancer diagnoses and treatments that are being missed, as well as other illnesses. You're far more likely to die from one of them that Covid.

dragonfly46

I know kitty I check the figures every day. You are probably safer than we are as we are surrounded by students. It is not their fault and I wonder why students weren't allowed to stay at home.

Or told to. Matt is right in the midst of the students. Hey ho!!

No.
Although as someone who is congenitally compliant, if the government tells me to, I will. Though who the blank will do my shopping, I don't know.

I mingle very little, and since Tier 2 came into force, even less but I would miss my very early morning dog-walks, solo (apart from the dog); and my couple of times a week trips to the little supermarket.

LauraNorder

I don't think we can put an age on it Kitty but I do think that if those who can, do and those who can't follow the hands, face, space rules and stop visiting in other houses as far as possible, just until the spring, we might get the numbers down.

Exactly.
Most older people we know (70’s) are already staying in either most of the time or as much as possible.If aged 60 and with underlying medical conditions, then they should try and do the same.For healthy 60’s, then observing all the rules and being careful generally should be fine.

Not 60, many of those are still working, and we need the experience. Over 70 definitely, particularly if they’re vulnerable. Perhaps all vulnerable people should too, as much as possible. I would imagine they already are.

No one is asking the over 60s to stay in . There has been the odd maverick view stated but no body of credible opinion is saying anything like this. The accepted position at the moment seems to be that if you were previously in the shielded group, then depending on the Tier you live in, you should tailor your behaviour appropriately. There is clear guidance on Age UK about what this means if anyone needs it.
The other position on this is the one advanced by the champagne quaffers of the Great Barrington Declaration, which suggested ‘Focused Protection’ ie protecting those at highest risk which would involve inter alia staying in as much as possible. HTH

It makes me so mad. We are STILL being so careful, socially distancing , wearing masks, sanitising, not mixing in crowds, only going to places we deem safe. We 70+s got locked in before, the mental health state at the end was far from good. Idea - lock the young ones in and let us roam!!

Heaven help if medical staff are included. People need to follow guidelines set out by WHO.

What an awful concept. My DH is 72 and would be horrified that he had to stay in! He's fitter than I am, and in fact many people 10 years younger.

Many over 60 still work including doctors and nurses in our NHS. However if you are a vulnerable person either with medical issue or obese and do not go out to work it would make sense not to go out more than necessary. That is what I do. I have food shopping delivery and limit my journeys out to dropping off or collecting child or a quick walk with dogs. My dh does the same. I usually love to go to shops and choose Xmas gifts but this year sadly it is a gift chosen online, money put into persons bank account or a voucher. Those who do not need to go out must choose whether to carry on going out or stay in more. I chose to stay in more as I don't want to get virus. I did risk going to see 3 of my sisters in very low risk area as we always meet up on anniversary of day our Mum died.

I am 84, no underlying health conditions, so far as I am aware,

however, why not just suggest euthenasia? isn`t it more or less the same? lock us all up, just by counting the physical years!

I worked in a school until I was 73. Still fit now and active. I think it is going over the top. You would be amazed at how many people I know who think its all a hoax anyway. I don't agree with them but they really believe it is all a government plot. So they wouldn't obey.

No - 60 is the new 40! Give over this is a wind up.

Wow, polnan, at 83 I thought I was the oldest on here.
But obviously not.
I have no underlying health conditions and am still out and about, - very carefully now though. Here in the south west the number of infections is very low, but rising a little now.
I strongly suspect that if we oldies get it we will just be left to die. I object to that because I am still fit and active.

No way, people need to get some fresh air and be a part of a community, locking up will affect their mental health

If we over 65s stay in I reckon our mothers would still go out. You just can’t keep these over 85s in

NO! If im considered young enough not to get my pension til im 67, im young enough and sensible enough to not stay in.