Seemed simple but the more I know.......

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Hello again.
Yes, lots of things can happen with chickens. But the best prevention is proper housing, environment, feed/water and protection from predators.
So... my first piece of advice is to return the coop if you haven't already assembled it.
Instead spend this time trying to find a used shed or maybe you have your own shed on your property you can use and convert that into a coop instead. Most people know someone that can do some minor carpentry work to install a pop door, ventilation, windows and simple poop boards with roosts over them. Being able to walk in the coop to tend to the birds is so much easier than having to stoop over with a pre-fab.
Then you can install electric poultry netting for a pen connected to the coop, preferably with some shelter inside the pen, like a large shrub or something like that.

I'm not really old but I'm "older" and my setup makes it truly easy to manage my flock. I've only had one predator loss in their pen. From a hawk. I lost a young, inexperienced pullet.
It only takes me 15 minutes total from walking out the door to walking back in to change their water, feed them, turn them out and clean the poop boards each morning. That's it. Another 3 minutes in the evening to lock them up and do head count.
Feed them a complete diet and always have fresh clean water and keep the treats to a really low roar and you will avoid most issues with malnourished and overweight birds.
Give them a large run and they will get lots of exercise.
If you keep your flock size small, that will reduce the chances of health issues.
If you choose breeds with normal egg production instead of hybrids that have been created to crank eggs out like mini factories, you will avoid a lot of the health issues caused by reproductive tract failures.
Chicken are truly enjoyable, endearing creatures and I cannot imagine entering retirement without a flock. Don't give up. Keep asking questions. The more you read about these issues that have you concerned the more prepared you will be.
 
Hello again.
While I agree with others, that many threads here are started to request help, I'd also say that chickens are not for everyone.
Being "old" is often a state of mind, but it also places some limitations on life decisions.
I'd ask you, to ask yourself, these questions:
1. Can I care for a flock? (bend, stretch, lift bags of feed)
2. Can I provide for them. (A secure coop and run, with plenty of space and comfort)
3. What will happen if I'm sick and unable to care for them?
Do you have a friend or family member to help out?
 
Just like it does for people. A safe environment, fresh air, clean water and quality food. Goes a long way towards keeping your chickens happy and healthy. Also like people no matter how good of care you take of them. There will be some illnesses and accidents along the way. Doing a few timely physical checkups and routine medical treatment will keep most serious illnesses from settling in. I have found that limiting free range time along with a secure coop and run. Keeps most predators at bay. Again no matter how diligent your efforts. You are going to have a loss to predator every now and then. Overall keeping chickens is fairly easy and really rewarding.
 

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