Helping the aged, UK-style
Is there any subject that exposes as much hypocrisy and denial as the provision of long-term care for the increasingly populous elderly?
We berate the Government for its inadequate provision of care, but how many people invite their frail parents to live with them these days? We demand that care should be universal and free, yet when additional taxes are suggested to pay for this provision we scream blue murder at the rapaciousness of the state.
In recent years, property equity release has been regarded as a perfectly reasonable way to pay for holidays or a new car, but when used to fund accommodation at a nursing home it suddenly becomes wicked. One is tempted to conclude that our society regards a bumper inheritance as more valuable than comfort and dignity for the elderly.
We're not going to solve the problem of providing long-term care for the vulnerable until we at least acknowledge some of these contradictions.
I agree, looking after elderly parents should be the responsibility of children. One of the saddest days of my life was when my parents decided to put my Grandfather (in his late eighties and a WWI veteran), a bit frail, but still active and telling war stories, in a nursing home. I've told my wife (we have no kids), if it comes to that then just shoot me. (Otherwise, I'll just go wander in the woods ... I might be gone some time ...). She's a bit soft-hearted though, so I doubt she will. I'll probably just have to suffer the indignities of old age in some anonymous hell-hole somewhere. Look me up, won't you, Ben?
Posted by: Macander | Tuesday, 13 May 2008 at 04:20 PM
Our treatment of the elderly is scandalous. You have to be young, fit, attractive, economically active, in order to count in this shallow society.
Posted by: Mark_IV | Tuesday, 13 May 2008 at 05:22 PM
I have to say, quite impartially, that what the evidence shows is that the richer, more successful, more advanced, more technological, more modern a society becomes the more its people reject the beliefs of peasant society (that still exists amongst the chinese, the asians etc) - eg looking after the eldery, having loads of children, forced marriage, belief in gold for saving rather than paper money, religion.
One must also remember that people in the west live longer: in asia and china there are n ot many old people - this is one reason for their economic boom. In 20 years they'll have loads of old people and their boom will bust. Beware of those glass houses and stones Mr Chu...
Now of course, there is the question of how one defines 'advanced' or 'civilised'.
Posted by: Mr T | Wednesday, 14 May 2008 at 08:43 AM