Lets forget religion 4 a minute.Your views on an idea to help the elderly wanted.?

Question

I don't know if it's true but I heard in China they have a program for helping the elderly and I think it's a good idea.
When you are young you volenteer your time , lets say 2 hours per week to go to an elderly persons home and help them.
Things like washing , ironing ,cleaning,company ect for free.In return ,how ever many hours you donate, when you are old you get that many hours free help.
In Australia our goverment is letting down the elderly it may be the same where you live.
I would like your ideas how to get something like this started.
Is it a good idea?
Should it be church run ? If so religion should not be a concideration as to who gets help and who does not.
Should it be goverment run ?
It would need funding , as it would involve administration .Would you donate or should the goverment at least fund it ? I don't feel you can charge the helper or the one being helped that would defeat the purpose
Can you see it working if run properly ?
Any constructive input welcom

I think by young maybe should of said ablebodied I see no reason why a 50yo could not help.
I think making sure the helper is trust worthy would be important

If it could be made work I think it would give carers a much deserved break.

Answer 1

That would be a great thing and I think it would keep a bunch of elderly out of nursing homes if they had the help. As to who should run it I agree with Lady G ,keep the government out of it. And make sure the people are honest and reliable.The churches could help but should not be required the people seeking help be members of any religion.

Answer 2

We have programs that are similar to what you describe where I live; the main difference I see is that the volunteers who visit and assist the elderly people in their homes do not collect hours that they will be given when they are elderly.

I think that the type of reciprocal care that you suggest, where the number of hours given when able-bodied would equal the number of hours you recieve when you are elderly and in need, would be very cumbersome to keep track of. The hours would need to be collected for decades in some cases, and I'm not sure how helpful that would be in the end.

To be honest, I like a system that uses a combination of resources to assist people. Paying for some services-either using a person's own funds or government beneifts, family and close friends giving care, and volunteers from service organizations-this combination offers a great deal of flexibility that large bureaucratic endeavors can't match-flexibility is important because care needs to accomodate individual needs.

I would love to see more people volunteer with service organizations that assist elderly people....the programs are available (at least in my area)....but the need for more helpers is an ongoing challenge.

My neighbor benefits from some of the programs I describe. She has a volunteer caseworker who works with her to match her with available help and services. Rides for doctor's visits and shopping are provided free of charge. A companion comes to the house twice a week to help with other chores and errands twice a week. My neighbor has the ability to pay for her house to be cleaned once a week, but even this service could be provided on a sliding scale fee, or free, if needed. Everyone in our neighborhood has chipped in to help her out at some point.

Perhaps what is needed most is better recruitment of volunteers?

Answer 3

Sound like a great idea! It SHOULD NOT be Govt run. In the USA the Govt. cannot handle it present responsibilities; such as New Orleans, the fires in California, and Ground Zero etc. This might be a good program for the American Red Cross as they are always looking for volunteers for all matter of things! Some of these volunteers could be sent out to care for the elderly in their homes for a couple of hours a week and then donate say another 6 hours to the ARC. Killing 2 birds with one stone! It would of course cost gas money - but as a homebound senior I for one would be happy to pay for it!

Answer 4

I could see it working. If the ones doing the helping are proven to be trustworthy and not the type who would take advantage of the situation. I would prefer to see it run by a volunteer organization without the government being involved; maybe a combined effort of church and local outreach programs. Yet there are probably so many elderly who need help, that there may never be enough volunteers. Very interesting idea, though.

Answer 5

If that were the case here in the U. S., I'd be owed 43 years worth, right now!

I did it for free. But, that's OK, I loved those I worked for and that's payment in itself.

This program is active in the United States right now. It's done through Social Services and it's called In Home Supportive Care. It's a Government program, however, you have to be close to death to get them to let you participate and you nearly have to be destitute also. The Service Providers are paid for their services, but usually minimum wage.

I think it would be a good idea, however, I don't think there are that many young people in the U.S. that would be interested in participating. They're too busy with other things. There are always that small group that would, and I will tell you this, they would really be appreciated.

Answer 6

Here in the USA, I doubt this type of a program would work. We have far too many people who would see this as a way into the lives & homes of the elderly & the possibiliites for abuse are endless. It might work in a 3rd world country or in a socialist or communist society, but I can't see it working to the benefit of the elderly.
It sounds like a NOBLE project that would work out well in a small town atmosphose where everyone knows everyone else, but in most large metropolitan areas, like California, there is no way to keep an eye on the caregivers OR the clients without having a government to do background checks & issue training certificates.

China has it's own customs & cultures that seem to work for the people of a communist run country. As an older American, I would not want a stranger to assist me without proper training & identification.

I live in a free country that allows me to make these choices.
Forced volunteering is an insult to freedom (by my standards).
What seniors & the elderly need is safe & affordale housing with access to qualified caregivers, if they so desire to have one! The volunteer agencies & church groups are not equipted to offer the services that you are referring to on a mass scale.

My state (CA) currently has a program that goes by the name of "Community Service". This program allows people who can not afford to pay for their citations (traffic, jaywalking, grafitti, petty theft, etc), to work off their court fines & fees by working a set number of hours in trade for having their records cleared of monies owed. This program started out well, then ended up with people who were skilled cons getting their hands in file drawers where they should not have been. Identity theft is rampant in CA & senior citizens are the most at risk for this type of abuse because they are very trusting & don't know that many people are so dishonest.

I hope this works out for you in your area. Nothing is impossible.

Answer 7

It's a lovely idea but we doubt it would work unfortunately. How young is "young" though coz even if youngsters were generating hours for their own Senior years they would still want some form of payment today. In the UK there are family members or neighbours who take on the role of Carer eg. my husband is my Carer. There are a lot of children who take this role for their disabled parent(s) too. If it was church run there would always be the fear that the "bible-bashers" would see it as their passport into the kingdom. This is, as previously said, a lovely idea and would work in the perfect world....this isn't the perfect world tho.

Answer 8

I have a x sister in law that gets help 3 times a week. She lives on disability/SSI, she is in low income housing and the dept of social services provides the person that comes and takes her shopping, cleans and does her laundry and cooks. She has medicade food stamps and her meds and dental are paid for. She has lived like this for years and is now 58. Her issue, first it was chronic fatigue and now it is fibro mialgia. That's where the money goes! Several of the people here in the complex I live in get the same type of help. Here they are either disabled and/or over the age of 62 to qualify for the apartments.

Answer 9

Sure different country's honor their elderly and take care of them. But face reality is is the real world and the US is a ME society. You can't even get sons and daughters to care for their own parents, as they are so busy taking care of themselves and their own wants and needs. You are lucky if you can even get them to call you on the phone ( they say they are too busy) But that's ok, KARMA!!! What goes around comes around. This is not a perfect society and it will never work. But one day they will get there too and wonder the same, why no one cares about them or wants to help them if they need help.

Answer 10

With so many baby boomers eventually becoming elderly all at once, I think they out to devise a new curriculum in colleges that teach young people how to care for the aging population. And, it would have a first aid course with it also.