People don't get this kind of workout stuff

[Jonathon Sullivan]

The building of these places seems to be a growth industry here in the Phoenix area. Just imagine if even 25% of the over 40 population started doing the barbell lifts. All of the investments in these properties would be rendered worthless.

That would be a Good Thing.

[Karl Schudt]

My kids had a recital at one of the Assisted Living places. Smelled of shite and vomit. I looked at the list of activities on the wall for the denizens. I would cause some serious trouble in there just out of boredom.

I am sure the residents have many fine qualities, and everyone's got to live somewhere, but it won't be me, if I can do anything about it. That's reason #1 why I lift.

[carson]

My kids had a recital at one of the Assisted Living places. Smelled of shite and vomit. I looked at the list of activities on the wall for the denizens. I would cause some serious trouble in there just out of boredom.

I am sure the residents have many fine qualities, and everyone's got to live somewhere, but it won't be me, if I can do anything about it. That's reason #1 why I lift.

As a pastor I saw several of those kinds of places over the years. I've seen some that were quite nice as well. Most of the nice ones were run by the Methodists, Catholics, or Presbyterians. The State run or independent ones were the worst. I hope we've made enough plans that we won't get stuck in any but "The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray."

[carson]

My kids had a recital at one of the Assisted Living places. Smelled of shite and vomit. I looked at the list of activities on the wall for the denizens. I would cause some serious trouble in there just out of boredom.

I am sure the residents have many fine qualities, and everyone's got to live somewhere, but it won't be me, if I can do anything about it. That's reason #1 why I lift.

As a pastor I saw several of those kinds of places over the years. I've seen some that were quite nice as well. Most of the nice ones were run by the Methodists, Catholics, or Presbyterians. The State run or independent ones were the worst. I hope we've made enough plans that we won't get stuck in any but "The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray."

[Mark E. Hurling]

DB's parents were in one of these places. It didn't smell quite as bad as described above, but it did have that certain air of semi-cleaned up urine. Along with a sense of despair and the thousand yard stares that were positively Dickensian. The room her parents shared was larger than a prison cell, but just as stark and institutional green.

With all of that, the place DID have some rather creative signs reminding the occupants about some exercises they could do to keep the juices flowing.

Still, I hope, like you Carson, we manage to not end up somewhere like that. They are simply purgatorial waiting rooms for death.

[Mr. Bingley]

Along with a sense of despair and the thousand yard stares that were positively Dickensian.

a reference that outside of The Elderly forum would elicit blank stares of its own

[Polishdude20]

That's it, right there.

And assisted living isn't the worst of it. "Skilled Nursing Facilities," my friends.

People have no idea of the horror.

In 25 years of medical practice, I never got used to seeing what came to the ER out of those places. Over the years, it only seemed more hideous.

I'll die in the saddle, thank you.

Mind sharing some examples?

[TommyGun]

This is a topic dear to my heart, my father is ravaged from Alzheimer's and my mother has her own post brain aneurism deficits. I face the horrible end of life issues every day, ones that simply break my heart and make a grown man want to cry. Is it wrong to wish for them to go peacefully? They lose more mobility every day, more muscle mass, more neurological connections, a slow but relentless deterioration of the central nervous system.

I am in my 50's and have two 12 year olds, so the need to be strong physically and mentally through middle age and beyond may just be the most important thing in my life right now. Sully had a line which (no exaggeration) changed my life, about compressing the end of life like a failed last rep of a heavy set. I did not do that line justice, but hopefully if I get stronger as beautifully detailed in The barbell Prescription I will be able to kick my daughter's boyfriends asses well into my 70's. In my 80's i will settle for a draw with her husband. In my 90's I am willing to tap out if needed. That's the plan.

[I_iz_a_fatass]

Did hospice for my now-departed father in law. His hospice, at least, was mercifully brief.

The last fifteen years of his life consistent of endlessly watching television and raiding the cupboards for peanut butter. He was incontinent for at least eight of those years, and spent the last five of his life in a bed withering away to nothing. At six foot two he might has weighted a hundred pounds at his death, if that.

After my heart adventure, Death and I have keen understanding. He doesn't frighten me much.

Being physically unable to care for myself in any meaningful way is a piss-your-pants-in-raw-fear terrifying prospect to me now.

[Culican]

Here in Phoenix a few years ago a man was convicted of arson. As the jury foreman read the verdict you could see the guy put his hand up to his mouth. He started coughing and collapsed a few seconds later and was dead in about a minute, all on courtroom TV (still available on Youtube for the curious). Turns out he had a cyanide capsule in his hand ready for the verdict.

All of us at work who have seen the insides of the assisted living places along with their euphemistically called "Memory care" units have this discussion regularly. Most of us say, "I'd take the cyanide first before I'd end up in a place like that."