Why does my 80 year old mother want to die?

My guess is that she's ready.

Likely because "My mother Marilyn, who is 80 years old, living at home with age-related decline, anxiety, arthritis, depression, hearing loss, incontinence, mobility problems, osteoporosis, urinary tract infection, and vision problems" is exhausted with all of these myriad issues and wants to be with God and at perfect peace now.

Wishing you both the best of luck with a difficult situation

This is something for you to ask your mother, not us. I know it is difficult to imagine, but elders get very exhausted with life. When you hit a certain point it is loss after loss after loss. You have lived your life and are now down to the indignities of loss of mobility, loss of mentation, loss of comfort, and there is quite honestly little to look forward to. As a nurse patients often told me, and not with anger or depression, that they were ready to go, were quite tired, but that they didn't feel free to discuss this with their families because when they expressed their real feelings the family negated them and encouraged them to "want to live" when that was no longer a possibility for them. Sit and talk honesty with your mother. If her wish is to die, don't negate what she tells you. Ask her if there is anything you can do to help. Tell her you are sorry because you don't wish to lose her.

Have you asked her? Perhaps she's just tired of dealing with her health issues and is ready for some peace. Is she being treated for her depression and anxiety? If not, talk to her doctor about prescribing something. And if she already is on something, perhaps it's time to up the dosage or try something new.
Best wishes.

Do you have any ideas? Is this a very recent feeling? Anything change with your mom's condition lately? Injury? Mental decline?

Is your mother's depression and anxiety being treated?