Hey Gert-

First of all, you should ask your current company if you can convert to whole life. Expect a big price increase. If the price increase is too high, ask if you can reduce the death benefit to mitigate the rate increase.

If that is not an option, you should immediately try to secure a new whole life policy given that you're almost 80 and your current term policy ends on your birthday. It would be tragic if you waited a few months and then tried and in that short span something with your health arose that prevented you from qualifying.  At age 80, it's possible to get a term, but 10 years would the longest on you could get. Moreover, you'll need to be in a good health to get a 10 year term at your age and it will likely require a medical exam. Policies with a medical exam requirement usually require you to buy $100K in coverage or more so the policy cost would likely be far more than what suits your budget.

After running some preliminary quotes, you should expect to pay roughly $280-$330 monthly for a $25K whole life policy at age 79. The exact rate depends on various factors such as if there is a waiting period or not (there are other factors too). You get see quotes here: https://choicemutual.com/get-quote-now/

I highly suggest you speak with an experienced independent agency like us that partners with multiple companies so they can compare all your options to find the best deal possible. 

I hope this helps!