Showtalk said...

It depends on a lot of things.  If they can still drive, shop and cook. If they can keep up maintenance on the home.  If they haven’t lost any memory or cognitive function.

Grandmother drove until age 92 then my father took her to where she need to go and buy what she needed until she was 95 and she still cooked for herself... she fell, broke her hip and had to be admitted to a nursing home where she died a year later. Father is now 91 and still driving and shops for his own foods, cooks himself and is quite active. Aunt is 84, but cannot drive however her son and his wife take her where she needs to go. She can cook for herself though.

Showtalk said...

Location is also important.  How far are they from doctors? Can they still exercise?  Are there friends or family around or are they isolated?

Everybody lives in a city of about 50,000 and doctor's office is only 5 ~ 7 miles away. Grandmother and father both walk daily and relatives are all around. My younger brother is only 15 minutes away from my father by car and my grandmother lived only 2 miles away. My Aunt is about 7 miles away from my father and he still visits her about once a month.

FWIW

They may not have realized it but they planned for old age in advance by living near family and I’m good locations.  I knew a woman whose children all lived out of town.  Her husband was younger than she was but he died and she was alone in a two story house that was not close to stores or doctors.  She lived to be 98, but the last few years had to move in with one daughter.

Showtalk said...

They may not have realized it but they planned for old age in advance by living near family and I’m good locations.  I knew a woman whose children all lived out of town.  Her husband was younger than she was but he died and she was alone in a two story house that was not close to stores or doctors.  She lived to be 98, but the last few years had to move in with one daughter.

This is yet one more difference and unique property of Japan and that is their collective society mentality... if you can call it that. Direct translation translates it as "welfare", but it's not anything similar what so ever to the US "welfare" society.

Here in Japan, when people loose loved ones and live at home alone, near by neighbors work with the local city hall to check up on them at least once a day depending on their needs. If those living alone are disabled, checking up is done several times a day, but it's not a city implemented system, it's just a city coordinated system with the local area Presidents, sub section managers, etc. (i.e. Everybody looks out for each other.) And this eliminates the those living along with no nearby relatives or no siblings, etc. dying alone in their own house and not being discovered until the smell radiates to the neighbors.

Japan has quite a lot of elderly and the people in each area take care of themselves. If one gets to the point where they cannot seem to function properly living alone, it's immediately made know to city hall and only then do they step in to assist in getting the person out of the home where they're unable to live by themselves and into an elderly folks home so that someone can monitor and care for them properly.

FWIW

Thatnis a good system. We have nothing like it here.  I just talked to a woman whose four different relatives ages 52-58 just moved to retirement homes on the same street.

Showtalk said...

I just talked to a woman whose four different relatives ages 52-58 just moved to retirement homes on the same street.

52-58 moving into retirement homes... WOW... that's quite young if you ask me.

The area I live in here in Japan has 309 houses, and approximately 120 or more of those are elderly people. And by elderly, I mean 70's ~ 90's! Some live with spouse, some, one spouse has passed away.

My wife works as a caregiver in a nearby elderly retirement home. Average age of those who live there is 88 with the eldest 103 years old. They don't move in until they're unable to care for themselves.

But 52-58 is just unbelievable... I'm 63 and well... I can't see myself going into a retirement home any time soon! Those four are all younger than me so I just have trouble pondering about that.

FWIW

They don’t have to do maintenance or worry about anything in the complex. The one I heard about are all houses in the same section.  They care for themselves unless they get to a point where they can’t.  Then everything they need it right there for them.

Showtalk said...

They don’t have to do maintenance or worry about anything in the complex. The one I heard about are all houses in the same section.  They care for themselves unless they get to a point where they can’t.  Then everything they need it right there for them.

But at age 52-58? That was my point.

I'm 63... older than that entire age group. My dad is 91... 33~39 years older than all of them!

I worked until I turned 63... so why do people of working age go into a retirement home? It just makes no sense to me.

FWIW

They aren’t working.

Showtalk said...

They aren’t working.

Not working at age 52-58? Why?

My Dad is 91 and not working.

My Aunt is 84 and not working.

I'm 63 and just retired... not working.

But none of us are in retirement homes.

So why do non working people have to go into retirement homes?

What about the 20 ~ 51 age group whom aren't working? How many of them are in retirement homes?

FWIW

They retire early.  Some people do well and don’t need to work anymore or they can’t for health reasons.