I habitually have my tongue in my cheek and my foot in my mouth, @Whitey. And as I approach 70 and wonder how kind the future will be to me I honestly don’t wish to become the $6 million dollar old man. My back aches on a regular basis and my legs are still fading but luckily my mind is still sharp as a, uhhhh, what was I talking about? Is it am or pm?
The idea of having a hip replacement or a spine fusion done seems outrageous to me at my age now. I don’t feel that anyone would need to apologize to me in future years because I won’t get such treatment. If not for socialized medicine myself and the vast majority of Americans over the age of 65 would have no insurance. I am grateful that in past years our leaders saw fit to enact healthcare for the retired. If an accident or illness or condition in my future can be treated with the expectation that I will return to living as I do now I hope to get the care needed. When there is no future beyond being bed ridden and helpless it would please me to be left alone.
My mom had a knee replacement at 80, my 60 yr old sis had a hip replacement, those went well. wife spinal fusion and 4 others I know is a disaster. Live hard die young and make a good looking corpse, 1 out of 3 ain’t bad.
Some of us are programed to expire quicker then others,I’ve seen people hale and healthy into their nineties,then just fade out quickly-then young ones die in their 50s for no apparent cause,
Believe me some medicine is hype because of the profit involved,while other medicine is quite good-one thing you have to consider is,everything that happens to you isnt your fault,some people are people of constant sorrows no matter what and the stress levels you are exposed too plus enviromental factors can have an effect on how long you are here,believe me some people live worse then slaves everyday,because they have no choice-Kevin
“…say that an arbitrary age limit would be discrimination.” In this case it would be. You would have to provide proof that a majority of drivers that are older than x would be a danger to themselves or others. In your other cases “…arbitrary age for the minimum age to get a driver’s license, even though some young people are mature and responsible enough to drive sooner than the legal age.” That varies from state to state, in many states a 14 years old can get a DL. So the states have set the minimum driving at somewhere between 14 and 15 years old. It’s not hard to prove that a majority of people under that age would be a danger to themselves and other, owing to maturity levels. Same with alcohol consumption, registering for the selective service it has to do with a person’s understanding of the consequences of their actions and their brain development.
The question we should be asking is should we make it easier for relatives and others to report a drive who they think should no longer drive, perhaps, if there are sufficient safe guards to prevent abuse, but it shouldn’t be on age, just if the driver is unsafe.
@RodKnox A friend of my wife is 74 and is going in for a hip replacement next week. She is very upbeat and wants to keep hiking and walking. Another friend’s mother had both knees replaced at age 90. She lived to 98 and was very mobile.
I’m fortunate to only have had a hernia operation so far, and still have all my teeth. People are living longer and staying active longer. There are all sorts of rec. facilities catering to seniors.
I intend to work part time till age 80 and then take it easy and do more traveling.
@jtsanders Right on! The oldest member of our hiking group is 90, the next oldest 83. Both still come out regularly.
“Jackrabbit” Johansson, who introduced Nordic skiing into North America, went back to his native Norway at age 102. He skied regularly till he was 110 and passed away a few years later.
“Staying active is key to aging well. Everyone needs to exercise their bodies and minds on a regular basis until they are unable to.”
+1!
I am 65 years old, I do 1-1.5 hours of yard work each day, I take “power walks” several times each week in the nearby state park, and my total mileage each week on those power walks is 9-12 miles, at a pace of 3.5-4 mph each time. As a result, even though I am still somewhat overweight, my physician says that I have the heart and circulatory system of somebody in his 40s. Additionally, I do a lot of writing, and I read a lot of books (history and biographies–NO fiction!), all of which helps to keep my mind active. And, I have a part-time job in the evenings, a few days each week.
I avoid too much sun exposure, and I eat in as healthy a manner as I can, which is aided by my membership in a local CSA (community-supported agriculture) project, which gives me 10 lbs. of just-picked produce each week. That causes me to eat more vegetables than I normally would, even though I do give away some of my bounty each week to friends and neighbors.
By contrast, I have a friend (of more-or-less the same age) who does nothing much other than baking himself in the sun and eating the worst types of junk food. Last year, my group of old college friends had a photo taken of ourselves at a gathering. Most of us looked pretty darn good for our age–except for the guy who does nothing other than sunbathing and eating junk food. While everyone else stood erect, he was hunched-over, and his skin looks like the leather on an old work boot.
When a friend of mine viewed the picture, she asked–“Who is the really old guy in the photo?” She even said, “It looks like you guys are posing with your grandfather”!
That, “really old guy” is actually about a year younger than me, but he does nothing much other than baking himself in the sun and eating junk food.
@Whitey said : When my time comes, and I get too old to drive, I plan to give up my keys gracefully. I’ll move into assisted living and take the shuttle they supply to go places. Independence is overrated. I’ll let someone cook my meals, clean my room, and administer my medications any time. In fact, I’d opt for it now if I could. If I could, I’d move to a retirement community today, play tennis in the morning, hustle other old folks in the pool hall in the afternoon, and fish in a nearby lake the evenings,.
I totally agree. As one ages, independence is way overrated. A lot of retired folks do themselves a major disservice by trying to fully maintain their indepedence during retirement. The way I think about it, if you play your cards right, retirement can well be like going back to the college dorm lifestyle. And what’s better than that? No cooking. No laundry. No mowing the lawn. No fixing the lawnmower. Lots of people to play poker with, take walks, swim, golf and, tennis with. And don’t forget Bingo! And plenty of group activities and classes. But the retirement version is even better than the college dorms, no studying! Car? Who needs a car. Let the retirement community bus driver take me. I’ll sit back and enjoy the ride.
A few friends and relatives are living in retirement communities and they apparently have the finances to swing it but the average cost is $50,000/year and It wouldn’t take long at that rate to break me. And, according to the statistics, I am in somewhat better financial condition than the vast majority of people my age. What will the “vast majority” do when they are faced with deciding how to live when they have no savings and don’t own their home?
" As one ages, independence is way overrated".
Sometimes there is more independence in a retirement home for some people. My mother was 10 years younger than my dad. She still drove a car competently when they moved into a retirement home at my mother’s insistence. My dad had voluntarily given up driving several years before the move. Yet, my dad adapted better than my mother. I thought this was odd, but my son figured it out. He said, “At the retirement home, grandpa can go to the bank, barber shop and library there on his own. When grandma and grandpa lived in the house, he had to have someone drive him to these places”. Ironically, my mother died of a cerebral hemorrhage six months after they moved to the retirement home.
I’ve often heard complaints that grandparents spoil their grandkids. I had the opposite problem–our son spoiled his grandpa rotten. Our son would take grandpa anyplace he wanted to go–he would wheel grandpa to the car in his wheelchair, get him in and away they would go.
I’ve always been one to do things for myself. However, a couple of months ago, I was with my wife and a person came up and said, “Didn’t you have a son that graduated from my high school?” “No”, I said. “My son attended your school, but he didn’t graduate from the school”. The woman then continued, “Oh, I was certain that he graduated with my class of 1963”. It turns out that this woman was thinking of my brother who was in her class and is four years younger than I am. My wife won’t let me live this one down. Since that time, I have learned to hobble along and drag one foot, although I usually forget which one I am supposed to drag. At any rate, we needed some drywall work and redecorating done in our house. I hate painting and our living room has a cathedral ceiling which requires a scaffold to get up and do the work. I told Mrs. Triedaq that due to my advanced age, I shouldn’t be doing such work. She then called a contractor to do the job. Old age does get you out of jobs you don’t want to do.
One of the biggest problems with the elderly driving later in life, is the onset of dementia. http://www.aip.org/dbis/stories/2004/14037.html
There have been many studies like this done over the years. This may give many of us a way of extending our driving years. Don’t wait I’ll it’s too late.! ;=). Yes, they make dancing shows in sets of two left feet for those of us who just want to go through the motions and still get the benefits.
To me the problem is that, even though I’m 67 now, I still feel like the same person I’ve always been. I grunt and groan and my joints make some noise now, but I don’t feel like my abilities are deteriorating. But they are, for certain. I need hearing aids, I have lots of crowns on my teeth, I wake up to go to the bathroom a lot. What that all means is that I’m not the best person to tell me when I’m screwing up.
When you see some old guy driving his car at 22 mph, down the middle of the two lane highway, I promise you he thinks he’s doing fine.
I don’t want to have to go through a comprehensive physical, and a truly challenging driving test, because it will make me nervous and self conscious and maybe it will show me some things I’d rather not know. But, my kids and grandkids would prefer testing, and I guess I agree with them.
IMHO at a certain age (70 perhaps) we should restrict a seniors licence in much the same way they do with a learning driver here. 0 blood alcohol allowed, no travelling on roadways with posted speed limits over 80km/h, no driving after dusk etc etc. This way seniors still have freedom and mobility and you won’t see granny driving 60km/h in the left lane of the highway.
My brother in law, a former B52 pilot is nearing 80. His driving abilities has and still is uncanny. Yes, he has lost a step, but what he has left is still greater then the average driver ever had. His ability to weave his full size cars in and around traffic makes a passenger wonder if they aren’t riding with Parnelly Jones. I wish I could have operated a car when I was young, like he does now. There are many examples of highly skilled older drivers who, as they age, are now" normal" drivers. You never notice them because they just go with the flow and never draw attention to themselves.
There is another gentleman near where I live who is nearing 90 and still drives the family owned contractor business equipment. When in his early 80s, he drove a dump to the work sight near by towing a flat bed, unloaded, used and reloaded the business excavator from the flat bed to do a job, all by himself. No small feat as we aren’t talking about some tiny rental. This was a full size baby used to excavate for foundations. I stopped to watch him flip the heavy loading ramps up and down. I was not offering any help with my 60 year old back likely to cave in helping his stronger 80 year old back. Oh, he had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth all the while too.
Another good friend in his mid seventies, also an ex military and commercial pilot, still single hands his Hobie 16 in sailboat races. I more then trust his driving too.
So, I am reluctant to give some arbitrary age restricted limits to drivers. I would submit to agreeing to driver’s tests as we aged though.
IMHO at a certain age (70 perhaps) we should restrict a seniors licence in much the same way they do with a learning driver here. 0 blood alcohol allowed, no travelling on roadways with posted speed limits over 80km/h, no driving after dusk etc etc. This way seniors still have freedom and mobility and you won't see granny driving 60km/h in the left lane of the highway.
Not all seniors are incapable of driving at night. I’ve seen some who can outdrive probably 80% of everyone in this forum. My Dad was incapable of driving safely at 70…My mother-in-law at 75. My neighbor is 80 and still a competent driver. Each individual is different.
Some states like NH have mandatory testing every few years for people over 70. That’s probably the best approach.
I like the opening scene in “Driving Miss Daisy” when Daisy backs the 1946 Chrysler into a pond. She tells her son that this was a fault in the Chrysler and this wouldn’t have happened if he had let her keep her LaSalle.
In some ways I understand what Miss Daisy is saying. She probably had to go from a floor shift transmission on her LaSalle to the “lift and clunk” semi-automatic transmission on the Chrysler. I try to keep up with modern technology, but I don’t think I want a vehicle where you scroll through screens on the dashboard to operate the heating and air conditioning, etc. It’s bad enough to have to go through different screens on my 2011 Toyota Sienna to set the clock. I forced myself to do it, however. I like to be able to operate the controls on a car by feel without having to take my eyes off the road. I think that operating controls in some cars where I have to take my eyes off the road is a distraction that I don’t need. I’m 71, but I don’t think I would like scrolling through screens if I was 21.
I try to keep up with modern technology, but I don't think I want a vehicle where you scroll through screens on the dashboard to operate the heating and air conditioning
Technology is good…and I LOVE new modern technology…WHEN IT MAKES SENSE.
The old slide heater/ac controls worked just fine and were 10 times easier to use. My 4runner and wifes Lexus requires you to take your eye off the road far too longer then it should just to turn the AC on and location through the vents. With the old slide controls you don’t even have to look. It’s extremely simple. Some people will say it’s not as versatile. It has everything I ever needed.
Technology is good…and I LOVE new modern technology…WHEN IT MAKES SENSE.
I agree. I found the HVAC controls on my 2006 Chevrolet Uplander much easier to operate without taking my eyes off the road than those on either our 2003 Toyota 4Runner or our 2011 Toyota Sienna. On the other hand, I do like being able to push a button on the steering wheel to answer my cell phone through the Blue Tooth system on the Sienna.
However, even the old technology sometimes made things difficult. My first car, a 1947 Pontiac, had a subpanel down near the floor for the factory heater and ventilating system. There was even a light operated by a toggle switch on that panel so one could see how to set the temperature, defroster and fan switch. Needless to say, one had to look at the panel to adjust the heater.
Usually, I reject options that add to the cost and I think are useless. However, I really wished last Saturday that I had sprung for the electric start for my two stroke rototiller. I put in my corn early in May, but very little of it came up. The tiller started right away after sitting all winter. I used the gasoline I had mixed earlier and used in my snow blower. However, this past Saturday when I got the tiller out to replant the corn and put in the beans, I fought it for an hour before I could get it to start. I drained the gas and made a fresh mixture. I put in a new spark plug. I finally got it to run, but my shoulder was really sore from pulling the starter cord countless times. I’m probably going to have to replace my 21 year old lawnmower this year and maybe I’ll be modern and spring for electric start.
I am 71. A couple weeks ago, I drove in 830 miles from rural Puebla, Mexico, at speeds on the tollways up to 70 mph. Next week, I drive back. To those who want to set an arbitrary age for restricting driving, please go jump in the lake, etc, etc. I have driven around 250,000 miles since I retired.
I think there are two factors involved. My health really jumped up since I went very low carb several years ago.
Also, I think there is a use-it-or-lose-it concept as you get old. People who reduce their driving as they age, perhaps to church and the grocery store, are quickly not going to be safe out on the highway or in the mountains. That is my normal driving pattern, and thus I can handle it.
I do have a tendency to try to minimize the riskiest driving. When I came back from Puebla, I knew the cuota from Orizaba to Mexico City, passing through Puebla, was all torn up. I had been through there on a Saturday a couple weeks earlier. And, there were sudden reductions to one lane in heavy traffic. Light Saturday traffic was no problem. But, early morning work traffic was different. So, I chose to take an extra half hour cross country, and around Puebla on the Periferico on the south side. I was glad I had done so.
My wife’s best friend died this last winter at age 97. When she was 96, visitors came from far away, and spent the night at her house. She drove them to her own 96th birthday party.