Comment by ta1243

3 days ago

My nan made it to 92 without any mental issues, but then deteriorated significantly over the course of 18 months, forgetting she'd ever been married, had kids, etc, just reverted to believing she was a teenager who wanted to go home to her parents (in a house which was destroyed in ww2)

She couldn't look after herself was was forced into care by the courts. Since going into a home she's physically never been fitter, but mentally she's not the person she was 10 years ago -- it's not that she's changed personality, it's as if her memory of the last 80 years was wiped.

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ta1243

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sarchertech  3 days ago

That’s terrible, but you never know when or if the decline is going to happen, so if you pick an arbitrary cutoff you’ll have killed people who had plenty of good years left.

Many people die suddenly with no decline at all.

  • ta1243  2 days ago

    It's an interesting thing. Aside from the constant complaints she's being held prisoner she's far happier now than she was 10 years ago, but the person she was no longer exists. How does that factor in to how wishes can be expressed. What is important - the mind or the body?

    Your assertion

    > If you’ve already made it to 90 with no major issues, you’re expected to make it to 95 and you could make easily live to 100

    Doesn't really hold up, either in my anecdote (life) or in data

    In the UK 70% of men aged 90 today will die before being 95. Most will die before turning 94. Women have about 40% chance of making it to 95.