THE AGE OF THE CENTENARIAN IS HERE . . 

YOU SHOULD START LIVING IT!

There are about half a million people over 100 years old on the planet already. The United States alone already has about 75,000 centenarians,  and the number is accelerating.

If your reaction to being over 100 is negative . . . PLEASE THINK AGAIN!

People who are 85+ years old are the fastest growing cohort in the country!

Outdated notions of old age should to be replaced by  the possibilities and promises of long healthy lives.

JOIN US IN THE QUEST FOR QUALITY + LONGEVITY.

Tom and Katherine Costello

TOM HAS AN OPINION

In the 13 years since my creation of Live To Be 120 and Healthy, I’ve gotten used to the reaction I get from people about the notion of living 120 years. Most of them deflect the idea with a surprised laugh or exclamation, and a fair number of them claim that they wouldn’t want to live 120 years (even when I point out that ‘healthy’ is an important part of the goal).

I’ve decided to focus more on what keeps people from anticipating considerable longevity: the fear of dying. Our inevitable mortality (ironically) prevents most people from fully living their lives.

On February 21, 2019, I attended a presentation by Compassion & Choices staff members including the CEO, Kim Callinan. C&C— as they refer to themselves—is devoted to end-of-life choices that should be available to people nearing the end of their physical lives.

If the unspoken fear of dying lurks in the background of normal or new activities, then that fear colors what goes on and even prevents some things from naturally occurring.

If you were to plan for the end of your physical life, you would release a lot of pressure that would ordinarily be building up on your shoulders and on the backs of your next of kin. I have heard, “Who cares? I will be gone. It will be someone else’s problems.” How cynical and unkind for a person to take that approach.

I have an 89-year-old friend who in the last 40 years has arranged for his funeral with a headstone (lacking only the date of his death), the written instructions describing what should be in his casket along with his body, who gets what of his estate, who the executors are currently. He keeps this up to date because he continues to out-live them. He has no fear of death. He believes that when a person dies that is the end. Period. No afterlife, no heaven, no hell. Nothing. The lights go out. End of story.

However, his practical preparation for death is only part of what needs to be done. A person’s wishes regarding ‘end-of-life’ care must be declared and recorded so that unless death comes suddenly, medical responses to illness or injury will be aligned with the choices the dying person has pre-determined. Those considerations start way before the funeral. Unfortunately, many people believe that having a living will is enough. It isn’t. Only about 1 in 5 Americans currently have access to medical aid in dying because of the states in which they live.

Understanding variations in attitudes about death will help me decide whether to become an “end of life activist”. As a mediator, it is easy for me to see how people afraid of their impending death could use help to overcome their fears and resistance and thereby reduce their suffering.

I’m aware of the apparent contrast between advocating for longevity and yet advocating for ‘end of life’ decisions. However, living well and dying well are inseparable. “The ingredients are the same, and—with courage and intention—a well-lived life can flow naturally into a death that honors it and reflects the values and beliefs of a lifetime.” (Barbara Coombs, Compassion & Choices)

And so, while I will continue to put much of my energy into urging people toward obtainable, sustainable, desirable longevity, I will also concentrate on helping people attend to addressing their fears about death.