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On the other hand, because I live in rural Japan and am only really friends with the people who live near me, almost all of my friends are over 70 (I'm 50). Wh
by mikekchar 8y ago
On the other hand, because I live in rural Japan and am only really friends with the people who live near me, almost all of my friends are over 70 (I'm 50). While this is of course selection bias (as well as being anecdotal), people I associate with don't end up in nursing homes -- at least long term. A quick google search tells me that only between 2 and 5% of people over 65 live in nursing homes and that jives pretty well with my experience. Most people seem to live pretty well until a year or so before they die, and then they essentially fall off a cliff.
My wife's aunt passed away last year from some kind of brain issue (I never did figure out exactly what the problem was -- lack of vocabulary). She was in and out of the hospital for about 3 months and while distressing, I think she very much appreciated being alive in those 3 months. After that she essentially ended up in a kind of semi-coma where she was awake for maybe an hour a day -- and she was in a nursing home. After another 5 months or so she passed away. I don't know if she got much value from those 5 months, but I know her husband definitely was able to use the time to come to grips with the reality of the situation. Again, just an anecdote, but I think it's illustrative of the complexity of the situation.
Anyway, I think most people can look forward to enjoying their old age. Of course it makes a big difference if you look after your body when you are young and it is much easier to do so.
- delhanty 8y agoOT - sorry >On the other hand, because I live in rural Japan and am only really friends with the people who live near me, almost all of my friends are over 70 (I'm 50). I'm in a pretty similar situation ... guess from your profile that it's OK to hook up with you by email ?
- mikekchar 8y agoYes, please do!
- wallace_f 8y agoThere are also those of us who personally know people whose lives are saved only to have the remainder be defined by experiences of pain, discomfort, and indignity. Not to mention, extroardinary cost.
- coldtea 8y ago>On the other hand, because I live in rural Japan and am only really friends with the people who live near me, almost all of my friends are over 70 (I'm 50). While this is of course selection bias (as well as being anecdotal), people I associate with don't end up in nursing homes -- at least long term. That's not what selection bias is -- that's just an accurate reporting of what you see around you. It would be selection bias if you additionally claimed that this must be the case elsewhere too.
- mikekchar 8y agoI just mean that I don't hang out in nursing homes, so all of the 70+ people I know are those who aren't in nursing homes. This may cause me to believe that older people don't normally live in nursing homes. Probably I could have explained that better :-)
- kbutler 8y agoIt is absolutely selection bias, in precisely the context the grandparent stated - he recognized that his data sample may not be representative of the entire population. Perfect disclaimer on the limitations of his analysis because of the selection bias inherent in the data sample.
- ianai 8y agoAs a chronic migrainer, I’m here to tell you that life is worth living despite pain. Society could sure help things much more than it does, though.