health
In defence of dropping dead: the burden of extended care for aged parents is a heavy new phenomenon
At 59, I was at last an orphan. I woke up with the most complete feeling of liberty and personhood I’d ever experienced
TL;DR
- Longevity is presented as progress but is a significant economic, social, and psychological burden.
- New demographic categories like the 'young old' highlight the increasing elderly population.
- Extended end-of-life care, often characterized by severe infirmity, is difficult for those enduring it and even harder for their caregivers.
- Women disproportionately bear the emotional and physical burden of caring for aging parents.
- Caregivers' lives and dreams are often curtailed, with some subconsciously waiting for their parents' death to live their own lives.
- In the past, elderly people tended to decline quickly, either recovering or dying, unlike the current extended periods of debility.
- The author recounts personal experiences with aging parents, noting the relief felt at their passing due to the difficulty of their final years.
- Becoming an orphan at 59 brought the author a profound sense of creative liberty and personhood, having fulfilled lifelong caregiving duties.