Quote:
Originally Posted by Sliver
Somebody shoot me now if I'm working my ass off through the prime years of my life only to piss away the bulk of my savings limping my way through the last five years of my life wheeled in front of a tv in some common area of a ####ty retirement home after eating my cafeteria dinner.
As soon as dementia is on the horizon or I see in my relative's eyes I'm just a hassle to come visit and I'm not able to contribute anything but sitting in the corner at a family gathering, I'm tapping the fata out.
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A lot of people think this way (especially, men), but in reality, when THAT time comes, they don't think this way at all. Contrary to what we might think now, majority of old people do not want to die and "end it all on once". They hang on to life and actually do look forward to those bland cafeteria meals, same TV programs and window watching. It is hard to believe when you are young but it is true. What's more, even if you prepare a directive agreeing to an assisted suicide, it would only work if you are terminally ill and suffering tremendously. Dementia, Alzheimer, short-term memory loss and general frailty are not sufficient causes for pulling the plug legally.
Someone I know has been gathering materials and writing a book on memories of lonely old people in care facilities. She visits them, talks to them and records their life stories to preserve them, because they have no relatives or friends remaining or close. She told me that none of those who she has had a chance to speak to over the past decade wanted to die.