John QuigginThis pro-death article is as wrong as it can be in every possible way: factually as well as ethically. The increase in longevity has mostly involved more years of healthy life. But if the author wanted to take her own advice, I wouldn't have a problem https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/mar/28/burden-of-extended-care-for-aged-parents-new-phenomenon
Coincidentally I just submitted a piece to The Guardian taking the opposite line
Coincidentally I just submitted a piece to The Guardian taking the opposite line
David Penington@johnquiggin I agree -we are living longer active, healthy lives. Especially the affluent. But I'm feeling that various levels of dementia justify dropping dead, but it's really difficult.
Not likely for me to get dementia. Moderately likely for my wife.
Not likely for me to get dementia. Moderately likely for my wife.
Mercurius GoldsteinIt also reeks of unacknowledged ableism; people in all sorts of degrees of physical and mental debilitation due to age can and still do enjoy a huge variety of activities — if they and their carers allow themselves to do so…and even when they face hard limitations a lot of their suffering is self- or carer-generated mental anguish at “not being able”.
DragonFlame@MercG @johnquiggin
Utterly tasteless and rather nasty resentful article. To publicly detail her father's physical decline and diminish his dignity was cruel.
Glad her late parents couldn't read it.
Utterly tasteless and rather nasty resentful article. To publicly detail her father's physical decline and diminish his dignity was cruel.
Glad her late parents couldn't read it.
Kim@johnquiggin her anecdata doesn't match the statistics of aged care providers either. The average time spent in old age care facilities has gone from years to months. Most people go from living independently to death in a much shorter time
Moz@johnquiggin I suspect it depends a lot on personal experience and how well someone is able to reconcile statistics with that. Seeing a loved one die horribly over many months is pretty traumatic. It persuaded my mother that her unconditional opposition to euthanasia regardless of circumstances was unwise.
It's also not clear what change the author is advocating for, if any. I think we could read the article as "this happened and made me feel sad" rather than a political manifesto.
Looking for explanations…I read it differently. I’ve seen friends whose lives have been significantly impacted by the lingering… existence of very elderly relatives.
I don’t know what the answer is. I know some oldies are against “assisted dying,”fearful that they could be bullied to go before they’re ready. And I’m guessing a lot of significantly disabled people also feel threatened.
But I really don’t like the idea of merely existing for years at the end of my life.
We’ve all heard of nasty, cruel, greedy adult children being found guilty of elder abuse. But I’m sure there’s other dedicated loving people who find that they are merely existing, due to the restrictions placed on their lives by their duties to their elders.
Of course, in a less greedy, capitalistic, individualistic society…