What is your biggest fear in growing old?

Loss of memory due to dementia or from Alzheimer's.

Just out of curiosity, Why do you ask?

Having to be taken care of by my children.
Having a stroke.

Becoming helpless and dependent on other people.

Me too, Cherrie. For me, that would be the worst part of growing old.

Having to live in a nursing home.

loss of bodily functions...

Hi Ragman,

Thank you for your response. I ask because I'm looking into global demographic profiles relating to increased life expectancy and reduced birth rates. I am a product designer and wanted to get an initial idea of what it is that people are afraid of when growing old in the hope that I can look into ways of allowing people to embrace old age as another step in their life rather than seeing it as something to be afraid of.

If that is the case, how is any of the replies here useful to you if you don't know anything whatsoever about the responders present - such as their demographics. nationality, geographic locations or socio-economic status?

My interest in replying assumes A2K won't be witness to an attempt to spam.

Hi Ragman,

My focus is not currently on those topics - however they will become a vital issue once I get further into this area. As I said, the aim of my question was to get an initial idea of what it is that people are afraid of when growing old. I think what you might be wondering is why am I using the internet for this. And it's because people have anonymity. They're not restricted by social standards with what they can reply to my questions and as a result I get a much more clear and coherent (and truthful!) response from people which is much more relevant. For clarity: I am not using this as a direct source of factual information. Hope this helps!

What all the others have already mentioned, but most of all I fear dying with pain.
A friend of mine has now had had unbareable pain since before Christmas.
So far the painkillers do not help.
Also I hope to be able to die without fear and with dignity.
On the other hand things usually turn out different than what you feared and worried about - so worry too much does not pay off.

When you grow old my fear is my health. There are already many sickness out there.

At age 70, I am resisting people's urges to do things for me, assuming I need help. If I need help I can ask for it.

I am resisting strangers to give me reassuring arm squeezes and pats on the back. I do not like being petted by strangers. I guess my fear is that someday I won't be able to fend them off, or god forbid, I come to expect.

Nothing I would consider explaining at length for a survey.

my heart giving out mid-****.

I think you have to be famous first.

Interesting, I tried to look up the name of the then famous ucla coach who died in bed, or so they said.

Nothing.

None yet.

I think a lot more about dying than I did in decades past, but not out of fear, just out of the realization that I'm coming to the last chapters of my tale.

I would not like to go into a nursing home or lose myself to dementia, but I don't fear it because neither seem like a reasonable possibility. Of course they are, but I have no intention of thinking about them and generating fear.

I prefer pain to fear.

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