Cause of Death: Old Age

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

I lost both my maternal grandparents around 1965 when I was about 8 years old. A grade school school chum asked, "What did they die of?" I answered, "Old age" and the etiology was a consensually acceptable one.

Both of my maternal grandparents had been in their mid 60's when they died.

 

I am going to be 64 years old tomorrow, Groundhog's Day.

 

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Thank you.

Do you remember when dying of old age was an acceptable etiology; an acceptable reason for an individual's demise?

"About three-fourths of all deaths are among persons ages 65 and older. The majority of deaths are caused by chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. During the 20th century these chronic diseases replaced acute infections as the major causes of death."

https://www.CDC.gov/nchs/data/ahcd/agingtrends/06olderpersons.pdf

 “With advances in medicine and technology we can better and more accurately pinpoint causes of death in people, unlike many years ago when people died and doctors were unsure of the cause.”

https://www.thehealthy.com/healthcare/caregiving/what-dying-of-old-age-really-means/ 

 

Everybody has to die.  With a diagnosis.

 

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I want that to be my cause of death.

Along with "Old Age".

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
20 minutes ago, Davey Do said:

I want that to be my cause of death.

That would be the way to go!

I don't think that your grandparents would have thought to seek out medical treatment for their "old age". But these days we want medicine to fix everything for everyone so they can live forever. I think in many cases older people are only mildly symptomatic due to ailments like heart disease, COPD and other things that can have a gradual progression. Along with getting older, many adults accept that their mild aches and pains are joined with shortness of breath or maybe some dizzy spells, etc. But people are receiving much more comprehensive medical examinations than they did in the past so we CAN diagnose many more things, and prescribe many more medications, and do many more procedures, whether we SHOULD or not. 

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
23 minutes ago, JBMmom said:

I don't think that your grandparents would have thought to seek out medical treatment for their "old age". 

They both died in St. Anomaly's Hospital, probably of lung cancer and/or liver disease, JBMmom.

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Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.

Happy (early) B-Day Davey!! It seems just like yesterday we were saying Happy B-Day when you were able to get your social security, time flies!

I also remember when my Grandmother died the cause was "old age", although she was 93yo. My husband's uncle died a few months ago at 95yo and his cause of death was listed as "adult failure to thrive", so kinda the same thing, IDK. But "old age" in their 60's, yikes!

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
21 minutes ago, Davey Do said:

They both died in St. Anomaly's Hospital, probably of lung cancer and/or liver disease, JBMmom.

Oops, my bad.

Happy early birthday, though!

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
1 minute ago, Daisy4RN said:

Happy (early) B-Day Davey!! It seems just like yesterday we were saying Happy B-Day when you were able to get your social security, time flies!

I also remember when my Grandmother died the cause was "old age", although she was 93yo. My husband's uncle died a few months ago at 95yo and his cause of death was listed as "adult failure to thrive", so kinda the same thing, IDK. But "old age" in their 60's, yikes!

Thank you Daisy! A virtual kiss on the face cheek is sent your way.

Mom died at the age of 82 from ALS, but her side of the family do not typically live long lives. I lost two cousins close to my age when they were in their 50's from an MI and liver cirrhosis. My older brother Eddy died as a result of prostate cancer when he was my age. Little sister Cat passed away last June, at the age of 61, from a diagnosis made in March, from a cancerous abdominal tumor. 

Dad's side is another story. He passed away at the age of 83 from brain cancer. My paternal grandfather died from a stroke at the age of 73, while my paternal grandmother passed away in her early 90's from Alzheimer's.

Several paternal aunts, in their 90's, are still alive and kicking.

 

2 minutes ago, JBMmom said:

Happy early birthday, though!

 

1 hour ago, Davey Do said:

Thank you.

 

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Specializes in Mental health, substance abuse, geriatrics, PCU.

I always chuckle to myself when I read an article about someone who died in their 80's, 90', or above and they'll include the "cause of death" for the person. I always say to myself "WOW!" they're 90 can't they just say they died of natural causes? Does death always have to be pathological?

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Specializes in ER.

When I was 3 I remember hearing my grandmother died of "low blood pressure". I guess it was what preceded 'no blood pressure'.?

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
7 hours ago, TheMoonisMyLantern said:

Does death always have to be pathological?

Recently, I was chatting with a neighbor out here in the country who is a professional both in the medical field and in the legal system. The talk went 'round to the neighbor's younger sibling who had died due to an accidental overdose.

Later, the neighbor drove their car up to my place and said, "I'm afraid I told you a lot that's not common knowledge. I wouldn't want you to think poorly of my family".

I thanked the neighbor for feeling free to voice their concern with me and added, "My respect has not decreased one bit for you, your family, or for your deceased younger sibling".

It seems that when the cause of death of a relatively younger person is known, we have a knee-jerk reaction to say to ourselves, "If they would have only... fill in the blank: taken better care of themselves exercised more, not pursued hedonistic pleasures, etc... they would still be alive".

That knee-jerk reaction is our way of rationalizing the situation and attempting to avoid death as if we can put off death for an extended period of time, like, forever.

I apologize, but I must excuse myself right now, even though I have much more to say that would circumstantially bring us back around to Moon's above quote.

My medical nurse wife Belinda wants to take me out for my birthday, so I have to go.

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Specializes in Dialysis.

Happy birthday Dave! I hope it's your best ever!

*sorry, that was off topic*

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Specializes in CEN.

My father has always said that the truest cause of death is lack of life. That's what should be on everyone's death certificate. 

On a different note, happy birthday Davey! Hope you have many more happy and healthy years!

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

 

4 hours ago, Davey Do said:

That knee-jerk reaction is our way of rationalizing the situation and attempting to avoid death as if we can put off death for an extended period of time, like, forever...

 

... is due to our need to feel in control/power by keeping things in an orderly fashion. Oh sure, systematically knowing the pathology of disease benefits us and our progeny in order to extend our health and lives, but it's also a way in which we attempt to meet our need or desire or immortality and avoid death.

We all want to avoid death and live healthily for as long as we can.

And then some.

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