How much can a person who is 80 or higher do …
Clearly, the answer is a function of groups. If you're really interested in seeing what's
possible, go to AARP's website and peruse some of their bulletins and magazines. Older people are doing amazing things.
My 87-year-old maternal grandmother would climb a ladder onto the roof, to adjust her TV antenna after windstorms. She'd also drive out to the farm and dig small ditches, to divert rainwater.
Until recently, my 93-year-old mom would drive herself to hair appointments, the grocery store and to meet the casino shuttle.
In my 20s, I remember meeting a 91-year-old man who'd retired from the ad agency where I worked. Once a week, the gentleman would drive 60 miles to pick up billing worksheets that I'd prepared. He would take them home and type client invoices (using a typewriter from the 1940s). In seven years, I never saw a single error in his work. The guy was an inspiration, to me.
Regardless of age, adult life is what a person makes it, with each individual adapting to their own circumstances.
… If I cannot use the bathroom by myself, is that not the end of life?
Yes, it is
not the end of life. Attitude plays a large role, in quality-of-life issues for older people. If you're worrying about what life may hold for you, then you could start working to improve your attitude now. Growing old means change and adapting to change.
Have you ever seen a person who is 80 or older …
… looking at the ceiling probably thinking about their youth …
I've interacted with more 80+ people than I can remember, having spent 15 years working in emergency medicine and 25 years providing services to honored citizens as a volunteer.
By the way, the correct word to use above is 'possibly', not 'probably'.
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