Why are British elderly dying before their time.

That's a very very long article. I started reading it because my husband died in January 2012 from a brain tumour, aged 65.
He does not appear to fit into these statistics, but I must admit I did not read it all.
However, another thing that I did not notice was any reference to the fact that GPs are now asked to find the 1% of their patients whom they would expect to die in the next twelve months and discuss with them about whether they would like to have intervention if anything drastic happened. I would think that would have an impact on any figures.

This is just a passing thought on the thread title as I haven't had time to read the article(a friend is coming for supper and I have a fish pie to make) but from my experience there are more and more people living into their eighties, nineties and beyond. DH is busier than ever visiting care homes and housebound people.

So when is 'before their time'?

We all have to go at some point - I am not one of those who want to keep going just for the sake of it.

In any case its all so relative, my darling Mum went, as far as I'm concerned, too early from bowl cancer at 71 but, she had had enough and put up very little fight. Her marriage to my father had worn her down and she just sort of accepted her lot - at the time us grown children were distraught but, looking back we had to accept that it was her wish to refuse any more treatment and leave in as good a way as she could.

I think I am of the quality not quantity school of thought and if somehow it could be arranged that I was illness free (apart from the inevitable age related annoyances) would be content to call it a day by 80ish.

But as I type this I realise that I am a bit of a fatalist and when I've been on the depressive side I have more or less thought 'if I do not wake up tomorrow I do not think I'd mind'. Yet other days I shudder at that thought. Its all so complex and personal.

Goodness me, bit of a rambling article. Needs a good edit. Was he being paid by the column inch?
But the essence is that for the first time in years the winter of 2012/2013 was associated with a drop in life expectancy for the first time in ages. A LOT more deaths of old people than would have been expected. The writer concludes the blame cannot be laid at the door of cold weather or flu.
Possible suspects are drastic cuts in social care, increased fuel poverty or other factors not yet teased out. The coalition government does not seem to be good for the health of older people.
Quote:
Between 2008 and 2013, cuts led to some 483,000 old and disabled people in the UK either losing their care support or becoming no longer eligible to claim it. According to the Personal Social Services Research Unit, the “reductions … are particularly acute for older people”. There are now millions fewer social care visits a year to the elderly than took place five years ago. These are visits to elderly people who would have been assessed as vulnerable, visits that could result in the carer setting in motion a course of action that leads to the prevention of an unnecessary death. The biggest cuts to visits came after the general election of May 2010.

My MIL had a fall last week in the bathroom at bedtime. She was found in the morning by her carer. She is, amazingly, ok after a night stuck on the floor in a chilly bathroom. But if no carer had turned up the consequences could be much worse. (she apparently takes off her alarm bracelet thing at night. sigh.)

Sorry, haven't read the article but I don't believe that we Brits are dying too soon for many reasons but if the stats supported this why is the government telling us we need are living too long and they can't afford our pensions?

Tried to read the article, but lost interest ... much too rambling.

My poor mum lived much to long- and hated the last 10 years of her life, blind, in a wheel-chair, totally dependent. And I regularly visit on OAP home full of the same. So living longer- is just not the way forward as far as I am concerned- unless quality of life is part of the longevity.
Quantity witout quality is no way to go.

The article is a bit of a tome however it states that the government at the time had stated that the massive death rate of 1952/3 was in the main a result of flu. This was proven not to be the case and was more attributable to the cost of fuel and the needy burning smog causing coal because other forms of fuel were too expensive.
It also shows that the current cuts in care etc for the elderly is resulting in an increase in early death rates.
Maybe that is the intent, quietly shuffle us off the mortal coil to reduce pension costs

Wasn't coal the main source of domestic heat in the early 1950s, not just for the needy?

Well it suggests that joelsnan but he doesn't know it.
The article is about the upturn in mortality ( i.e. the downturn in staying alive) which was statistically unexpected - not about whether individuals die too soon or too late.
Its a rambling discussion about what really causes "excess winter deaths in older people" i.e. more dying in the winter than the summer. Not much flu last year so that can't be the reason.

To be fair, exaclty the same happens here in Switzerland, and the rest of Europe. Perhaps it is natural for the very elderly and frail to pass away during the winter- this has always been the case.

Coal was the main domestic form of heating, few had central heating in the early 1950's.Statistics are often made to fit the arguement. I would imagine that since so many old people live alone now, it can be several factors at work, cold, not eating properly, lack of excercise and being very lonely.Too many long dark days.

I have read the article, and find it hard to believe that it was written by a professor from Oxford.
I pity his students having to listen to his lectures, and his political prejudices.
Joelsnan he is only surmising about the cause of these 'extra' deaths.
There is nothing in the article to even suggest that he has studied the cause of death in individual cases.
He describes these deaths, mainly in people over the age of 85, as 'untimely' without even attempting to define what he means by the term.
He's a professor of geography, apparently. Without in the least wanting to insult any GNers who are geographers, perhaps he should stick to geography and leave the interpretation of public health statistics to someone who knows something about medicine, and statistics.

Hi Jane
Having listened to my grandson talk about his geography lessons, kids now learn a lot about demographics and global economics.
I only remember learning how to read a map in geography.
I don't think this analysis was intended to show actual causes of death, I may be wrong, but I think he was trying to show a decline in social care recipients as a cause of an increase in early deaths. (Obviously greater than the normal expectation).
We all have to go, but hopefully not through neglect because of lack of adequate care.

Joelsnan I agree that a decline in the number of people receiving social care could be a factor in these unexplained, undefined deaths - it was the way the learned professor presented his hypotheses as fact which annoyed me.

I do not see how people dying over 85 is untimely. As I said earlier my husband's death did not seem to come into these statistics at all, as he was only 65. That's untimely.

After having to spend 3nights in an old folks home on the senile dementia unit.(courtesy of NHS incompetence ).
I have no wish to get old(er) I am 70 this year and very immobile.
Life on the whole, is not fun.
I have no work for the next 6/52 and have no idea how to occupy myself.

My husband was 59. I have been a widow for almost 11 years.

Yes, Galen, that's untimely as well. My husband's mother is in a hospital at the moment. She is 92, and has not wanted to live for a few years now.
She says she can look after herself, but relies on others to do everything for her that entails going out of the bungalow she lives in.
I really do not understand the premise of the question.

Joelsnan

I can only speak as I find.

My father died last June, he was 94 years old. He had received marvellous care from Social Services, his home carers and 5 days before he died had been fitted with a pace maker. He received £300 a year for gas and electric plus £25 cold weather payment and another sum of money but I can't remember what it's called of £150. The NHS did not reject him nor the Social Services or government because of his age' quite the opposite.

I know of 3 ladies in our locality who have home help and they are all in their 80's so I cannot say I agree there is a problem.. I do believe there are differences between council spending on Social Services so somebody else in another area could say different.

Dear Durhamjen
The article appears to try and show a correlation between the removal of social care for the elderly and an above average rise in elderly death. What I think he is alluding to is that although these deaths are inevitable.the lack of care I.e. The lack of a home help popping in to check all was well could result in someone dying earlier than if this care was available to them. Whether those who have contributed to the statistic were bothered that they expired when they did...we won't know.
What we should understand though is that if this hypothesis is proven, would we be happy to expire through neglect?

A person's chances of reaching a ripe old age depends, barring fatal accidents, on a number of factors, including where they live, how affluent they are, education, genetic predisposition, etc. etc.

It is a fact that the age at which people die is going up, but it is also true that people in certain areas of the country/socio-economic groups have, on average, a significantly shorter life span.

I have read that whilst many people are living longer, their years of "healthy" living are declining. I have certainly noticed that people I know in their 50's and early 60's are much less fit and mobile than older people from past generations.

My mother-in-law could have all the help she wanted. She gets extra money for having help. It's just that she argues with them all and tells them to leave because they are not doing things the way she wants.
She argues with carers as well as family, so it's not just socialworkers.
She has a button, but does not wear it, and has been found lying on the ground before. If/when she comes out of hospital, she is going to have to have help or go in a care home. If she refuses help again, will that be counted as neglect?
She has said a few times that she wants to die as she feels useless. I could easily tell her that she could do what my husband, her son, did, and stop eating and drinking. But I do not have the heart to do that, even if she is a cantankerous old whatsit.

Eloethan

I think you have made a good point about the health of the 50/60 age group.

Both my hubby and I are not in good health and a lot of our friends and acquaintances have health related problems too. Too much good living maybe????

No-one has mentioned poor eating habits. I would suggest reading 'Grain Brain' by Dr David Perlmutter. He blames poor health, inflammation, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimers on our eating too many carbs including sugar, processed food, and not enough animal fat (not transfats or canola oil, which are deadly).

Well, I cut out all wheat products, such as bread, cakes, biscuits, and I never drink soft drinks nor sugar in my tea/coffee. I have as much natural fat, meat, fish, eggs, real butter and other dairy as I want, plus lots of green vegetables with butter on, and fruit. I'm perfectly healthy and strong, and I've stopped piling on the weight, which happened after I retired. My husband reckons I'm mad, and he eats what he wants except for sugar, as he was diagnosed with diabetes 2 just after he turned 70, four months ago.

He has multiple health problems: I have none. He keeps saying 'wait till I'm as old as him', but he's been saying that for years, and he's only 18 months older than me. He has painful hands and feet, headaches, insomnia, severe depression, and other diabetes side effects I'd rather not mention.

I give him healthy meals, but he always demands bread. I try to suggest alternatives, but he gets cross.