It's highly unlikely many people want to die in their 60's these days, most wanting to be around for their 100th. So what is wrong with that? Well it puts pressure on accommodation and medical services. These fine people need a place to live, and they invariably need the medical services to continue living. Is this a drain on both services?
Well when you have low income earners living in sub standard accommodation and bringing up sick kids it gets me thinking that our priorities in this society are all wrong. But that comes with a double edge sword. If you take care of the poor and their children, you invite those same children to grow old gracefully and use even more services.
Currently many thousands of senior citizens are chewing into the National Superannuation Fund, and that figure is projected to grow! The Baby Boomers of the 50's and 60's are fast approaching retirement and those services that are now currently stretched are going to be overwhelmed. So the solution then?
Ok, drastic as it may sound, but for anyone over 80, they have to have a very good reason why they should access medical intervention to keep them alive. Yeah sounds like Dr Death here, but the reality is the population is growing older and quite quickly. If we look at the average age limit in Victorian times, males and females on average died around their early forties. Now the average is 80+. That's twice as old as 150 years ago and frankly the country just cannot afford people sitting around in rest homes waiting to die but not being able to thanks to the medical model of care, i'e, we keep em getting older.
Now I'm approaching the age where I need to assess my own options. I am a Baby Boomer, without savings, and with just the weekly Super to keep me going. Am I willing to live to 100. Short answer is NO!! I will take it in my stride and accept whatever fate is dealt me, but I very much doubt I will live past 70. Good for me and the country. But will other Baby Boomers take that onerous step? I doubt it. The Human Animal is too greedy by nature and will want every conceivable way and manner to keep them alive well past their used by date.
