How do people with no children, nieces and nephews or other relatives face the end of their lives?

They die in a nursing home.

There are a multitude of independent living apartments for seniors, and they usually have arrangements with senior care homes for people who need more help but can still live on their own, and nursing homes for the final stop.

Even with numerous people to help her, my mother-in-law had an in-home caregiver several hours a week first, then moved into each of the three described above over a period of about 5 or 6 years after Dad passed away. She needed the professional help family members couldn’t give her. She had the support of a son, daughter, daughter in law, grandsons and granddaughters.

@YARNLADY true but she was by no means alone in the world!

@Dutchess_III Many people with family die in a nursing home too.

Yes. My Mom did, 2000 miles away. She had her whole family there, except for her children and grandchildren. But that wasn’t what the OP asked.

True.

The same as everyone else: Alone. You always die alone. Nobody goes on that journey with you.

@Espiritus_Corvus I totally agree, but it’s one thing to have your family close by in your final hours knowing that they are present and another to lie there staring at a white wall perhaps even wiondering if your body will be found before the neibours notice a smell!

This is something that I think about often as I suffer with infertility and my siblings appear to also be unlikely to have children. I am not sure what will happen if I ultimately end up needing significant care at the end of my life.

So….we are going to ignore things like cousins and friends? Ok.

Having no kids =/= being alone.

^ I think the idea is that those people are generally also old when you are.

I worry about this all the time. I have no children. I do have nieces and nephews, but who knows if that will ultimately mean anything.

No clue. I suppose the alcoholism will make it a moot point.

@anniereborn unless they are amazing people or stand to inherit anything, I doubt most relatives would volunteer their time to see another relative off in a dignified way.

@ZEPHYRA Wow, that’s a very grim out look on things. Do you include children in that? I don’t consider myself an “amazing” person. And I won’t be getting a penny when my mom dies. But I have gone to see her in the nursing home regularly for the past 8 years as have my 3 sisters and 1 brother.

@anniereborn that does make you and your siblings good and ethical people who have realized that not everything revolves around financial gain. Love, respect and duty sometimes come first.

@ZEPHYRA I think many people feel that way.

I don’t know that it’s a responsibility that many people are willing to undertake if they don’t have to. Providing quality end of life care, especially if a person is in poor health or physical condition otherwise, can be taxing. Challenging emotionally, mentally, physically and financially. Close family is often unable or unwilling to step up to the challenge, so I wouldn’t assume that friends or distant relatives would. I would hope that would be the case, but I have seen enough to know that I shouldn’t expect that someone will step in.

@ANef_is_Enuf But it is quite common and certainly nice to have a child or close relative who will visit you and help to monitor your care. I think that is the more appropriate role for adult children to fulfill.

The thought of ending my life in a nursing home, like my mother is, scares me to no end. But, what scares me more is not having a soul ever come visit me. I wouldn’t expect my nieces/nephews to take me in to their homes and care for me. That is a huge burden.

How do people with no children, nieces and nephews or other relatives face the end of their lives?
I imagine there are many negatives examples as cited above, but there are also many positive ones as well.Some wait until there senior years to do the things that they had not the time to do before. Some start charities,start a business, write poems or stories and publish them,give talks to school children on variety of subjects that they are skilled in.
I knew a 95 year old lady who still painted and sold her paintings all the while in a nursing home environment.
Old age does not suddenly creep up on us…that’s why having interests and planning is important..not just financially, but emotionally how one will feel at that time in there life.
Other relish the downtime and meditate and ponder life’s problems and write about it.
It all depends on a person outlook and whether they took care of their body by living a healthy lifestyle to begin with.Everything in moderation. Drinking saps the body and ages a person so fast so if one must drink then do so moderately.

@Inspired_2write Actually taking poor care of your body will most likely take care of the above question. You won’t live long enough to have to worry.

@Inspired_2write the question was asking about the very last end of your life. That part where you die.
It wasn’t asking about old age in general.

Actually, the very end is the easiest part, simply fill a full body donation form at a local hospital and they will take care of the rest, no funeral, no services necessary.

At the end of their life?
I imagine with peace knowing that they have fullfilled their purpose on this planet to the best of their abilities, and knowing that they pass away in peaceful sleep.

@Inspired_2write How many people do you think actually “pass away in peaceful sleep”. Maybe if they are given enough morphine. Also how many people do you think are totally cool with the concept of dying. I bet a lot of people think they are, but when the time comes it gets a little freaky.

When the time comes, do you think you will have fulfilled your “purpose” in life, @Inspired_2write? Assuming you still have your wits about you (and many old people don’t) you don’t think you’ll have any gut wrenching regrets for the mistakes you made that you can never fix now?

If I have nieces and nephews, I wouldn’t expect them to care for me at the end of my days.