It is interesting to note that England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, talks about quality of life (Prioritise quality of life over prolonging it for elderly, Chris Whitty tells medics, 10 November) in the same week that Simon Jenkins says that he has been forced to turn off the news because he finds it too shocking. It is easy to forget that quality of life is determined as much by mental attitude as it is by physical, medical and financial circumstances. I am 77, and I join with Simon in a strong desire to protect my mental health. Whitty urges families not to shy away from conversations with older relatives. We also need conversations with the youngest in society about the importance of lifestyle factors such as exercise, diet and the harmful effects of cigarettes, drugs and alcohol. The bad habits do not start in old age. Perhaps we need a GCSE on “good living”. It could be based on snapshots of the quality of life that a person might expect every decade if they followed various lifestyles and habits. David Diprose Thame, Oxfordshire As a palliative care doctor, I found it incredibly refreshing to see the chief medical officer prompting a very important conversation that needs to happen. What matters most to a person should be central when they are nearing the end of life. Clinicians of all specialisms should not be afraid to have honest and realistic conversations with their patients about the potential benefits and burdens of treatments. Furthermore, studies show that timely access to palliative care can improve both quality and quantity of life compared with more invasive treatments. Dr Sarah Holmes, Chief medical officer, Marie Curie There seems to be an assumption that we all want to live for ever without anybody asking us if that is the case. For some, medication is helpful for pain relief and maintaining a positive state of health. For others, the reality is different. All too often the best we can hope for is to end up in a pile of blankets in a wheelchair in a wildly expensive care home, pushed around by an exhausted and underpaid carer. No wonder that some seriously consider binning the pills and potions and letting nature take its course. Ruth Lewis (almost 90) Potters Bar, Hertfordshire I am delighted that Booths is removing self-service tills from the majority of its stores (Report, 10 November). My mother lived alone in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, until she was 102 and visited the local Booths store daily. It was a major part of her social contact and she knew personal details of all the checkout staff. When she died 10 years ago, aged 104, two of the checkout staff from Booths attended her funeral. I’m not sure how good the daily chatter was for Booths’ profits, but was certainly good for my mother. I hope other supermarkets will follow suit as I dislike the idea of a self-service till attending my funeral. Felicia Olney London