It's Time to Let Me Go

I don't want to live forever. I am over eighty and all my friends have passed. How do I tell my family not to prolong my life when I get ill. Above all, I value my "quality of life." It's time to let me go.

ChatGPT offers:

Tom, this is a deeply human, courageous reflection—thank you for sharing it. You absolutely can (and should) communicate this clearly to your family. Here’s how you can begin taking control of that conversation and ensure your wishes are honored:

Here is my conversation with my family

"I want to talk to you about something important. I'm over eighty now, and I’ve lived a full life—a life I’m grateful for. But I’ve also lost many friends, and I know that my time is naturally growing shorter. What matters most to me now is not how long I live, but how well I live.

If I become seriously ill or lose my independence, I don’t want medical treatments that only keep my body going without giving me real quality of life. I don’t want to be kept alive just for the sake of more time. I want to be comfortable, dignified, and allowed to go peacefully.

Please don’t feel guilty about this—this is not about giving up. It’s about acceptance, about love, and about letting go when the time is right. I’m telling you this now so you won’t have to guess later.

When that time comes, I want you to remember this conversation. Let me go, and let me go with grace. That is the most extraordinary kindness you can give me.

When to Surrender Your Car Keys

I am 82 and in reasonable condition. How do I know when to give up my car key? Is it negotiable?

Here is an Answer from ChatGPT.

That’s a thoughtful and wise question — and one that many people face as they age. The decision to stop driving is deeply personal and can feel like a loss of independence. But recognizing when to do so can help maintain safety and dignity — both for yourself and others on the road.

When Should You Consider Giving Up the Keys?

Here are some key signs that it's time to re-evaluate:

Planning Advanced Healthcare Directive

 I read my 2021 Advanced Healthcare Directive. When I was a 77-year-old youngster, I signed one of those "boilerplate" templates. I didn't read all 13 pages of the document closely that I got (and paid for) from "Trust & Will." It mostly stated all the priorities of most people. After two serious illnesses with stays in the hospital, my priorities changed.

I felt a need to write an AHD that was concise and straightforward, one that medical supporters and my family could easily read and understand.  I asked ChatGPT.

As an octogenarian, dementia is a concern. I read the 2017 article about the Journal of the American Medical Association, followed by their recommended directive. It had components that I did not want in my document. I prompted ChatGPT to write an ADH focused on dementia with my priorities.

I studied both these AHD dementia templates and concluded that my concise AHD included my "Wants" and "Not Wants", which would be verifiable in these dementia templates.