Re: Old people: A burden?

Good Evening Robert, my inlaws are both 81 and coherent, and self sufficient, twice a week during the course of my work, I have to visit two Care Homes where there are folks of lesser age, who are dependant, my conclusion is there is no "Standard" where age is concerned.

Re: Old people: A burden?

Good morning SPitfire, your in laws sound just like my Aunt Maud & Uncle Arthur who are 91 & 93 respectively, they could easily pass for 70 & are totally independent. So I agree with your last point.

Re: Old people: A burden?

I may not be a burden now indeed I play my part as child minder /educator/confidant/cook.

I have costed the state very little so far having worked most of my life .
Who knows what the future holds. I may become a burden but I hope not and unless I am too ill to care for myself I will go on doing that which I have always done, being independent, relying on myself and not expecting others to be responsible for me.

Re: Old people: A burden?

Hmmm. I'm not a burden, as I have noone to burden! But just thinking about it, why limit being a burden to old people? IMO people who are going to be a burden will be one, young or old!

Re: Old people: A burden?

think we are a 5 we look after our selves we are still useful for our family Hubby always there to ferry them around and we can shop and cook and enjoy life .

Re: Old people: A burden?

I think the great Eric Burdon is an old Burdon now, remember him and the Animals.
Having read all the interesting replies I think the vast majority of older folks are an indispensable asset to the country and they should stop knocking us for living too long and drawing our well earned pensions, what a bloody cheek!, first they lecture us to live a healthy clean life, go to bed early, get up early, exercise, give up all the things we grew up with like Butter, eggs, white bread, fry ups, smokes and booze, then they tell us we are living far too long and will have to raise the pension age and cut those already on it, who wants to live to be 100 when you have to work until you're 90?.
Who's going to mind the grandkids when the mothers and fathers have to work? not everyone can afford the crippling cost of childcare. Give me the bad old days when there was only one breadwinner and the mother could spent a lot more time with the children she loved instead of having to dash out to work each morning and leave them in the care of strangers. Everyone ate what they liked best and could afford and we all took our chances on how long we would live, some made it and some didn't, we accepted that and didn't need to analyze it and write papers on it, it's called life, today if someone is just plain lazy or bored the analyst's will have it sorted into some special category or syndrome, we were ahead of them as kids, we called it CFL...Chronic F..... Laziness.
Sorry but I do ramble off course now and then.