YP Letters: Elderly foreited years in service of country

FOLLOWING the letters from G Cooper and Karl Sheridan on the moral entitlements of pensioners (The Yorkshire Post, March 10), it might be added that the majority of the male population now in late pensionable age also forfeited two years to Queen and country in the form of National Service on very nominal pay, me included and now 82.

We might further wonder if our generally healthy wartime and post-war diets with negligible sugar and fats accompanied by austerity lifestyles were a significant factor in many now living to ages well beyond what were the expectations of 50 or more years ago.

This leads to a topical issue of what they should do with us oldies when we are past our ‘sell by date’, or more importantly, what we should be allowed to do for ourselves?

With the care of the elderly now a major financial burden on the NHS, isn’t it about time the Government got to grips with legalising the voluntary and dignified departure of the elderly for whom life has ceased to be worth lingering on and would choose to go?

I have personally known three family members close in age who expressed that wish and statistically that suggests there must be thousands of others.