Not everone in South Africa, or anywhere else in the world, can afford to go into a "senior residence" when we cannot care for ourselves in our old age. Where do you see yourself when your parent becomes old, frail and in need of care?
Read this article from the Times online and think how you would feel in the same position. Is it your aged parent´s fault? Or is it your fault that you have to care for your parent, or that you perhaps feel as this person in the article does?
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article2863641.ece
Have you ever put serious thought to this situation? I was luckily spared this agony. Although my brother offered to house our parents in a flat adjoining his house, our parents opted to move into an old aged home, and were lucky to have saved enough to cover this financial "burden".
2007-11-14 01:30:31 · 8 answers · asked by cakes4southafrica 7 in Travel ➔ Africa & Middle East ➔ South Africa
Phew, a very frank article. Her burden is even greater as she seems to be the only family member looking after her.
It seems to be the older culture/societies that care for their older more?
Is our outlook on life becoming too consumerist, I mean in the sense that when something becomes old or broken (or weak) our attitude is to just discard it?
Come voting time here in Italy (and other European countries including Germany - you remember Angela Merkel's campaign?) the very first thing highlighted are pensions funds and care for the elderly. Granted it's not great....but at least it gets addressed and at least there is a system in place to care for the elderly.
In Spain pensioners don't pay for doctors or prescription medicines.
In Italy pensioners whose pensions fall below a certain bracket have the right to be allocated a full time carer by the state!
(A friend of my wife's grandmother has a full time carer.)
It's a good question and a good issue to raise, clearly people need to at least start talking about it more.
2007-11-14 04:36:43 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I know what you mean, but nothing is affordable anymore. Here in America, By the time I'm old enough to retire, they say there's not going to be anything for me, so why keep robbing me of stuff I'll never use?
The government doesn't care anymore, they want the all mighty dollar, no matter who gets hurt or who goes poor.Heating Gas prices increase in Winter, geee.... Why is it always when we need it? Same as Fuel Gas rising when there's a holiday. Things we need most are taken advantage of, like health care and living spaces as well.
I beleive(don't quote me on this) that America is Practically the only country that makes citizens pay for doctors exams and other medical treatment.. Sure the taxes at countries that have free health coverage are a bit higher, but they dont' have to worry abotu affording insurance or a medical exam, That's how our government makes it's money too, is through all that stuff, so that's why they don't get rid of it and let us have free health coverage too..
They just don't care anymore, and that's what makes me worry about the future... They keep getting rich while we work our @$$es off to the bone just to keep alive...that's why things we need are so high, so they can have THEIR money.
That's My opinion though, hope this helps in some way!!
2007-11-14 01:45:18 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Cakes it is so strange that I get to read your question at this moment. I got back to Israel over the weekend from South Africa and while I was there I noticed an atmosphere amongst my family members. I just got of the phone making a call to hear how my family is getting on in SA. Well the call was pretty hostile I have to say. I was told by my family member that my mother became a burden to them in the last two years and that she was not the vibrant woman I knew. I'm even more saddened now that I was not there for the personal touch. She was nothing like the woman described in the article yet, but from my phone call I could detect that there was already resentment. I hope now that I will not have to rely on my family ever in future. It is sad that humans have to go through this before they pass on.
2007-11-14 02:21:44 · answer #3 · answered by Darth Vader 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Well in our Indian society its kind of our duty to take care of our parents in their old age . But I as a person think that one should care for their parents because when we were infants and were helpless they took all the care and now when they are helpless who else do they expect the care from? May be through this care we can return in some ways what they did for us
2007-11-14 01:44:43 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I thought about it before and I would gladly look after my mom. She did so much for me during my 22 years of life that I could never refuse to let her stay with me. If I get married one day, I'll just build her a nice cottage in the backyard and she'll be happy there. One day when she can't look after herself anymore, she'll have a place. Luckily she's so lovable, or is it just because I'm her youngest LoL...
2007-11-14 18:36:32 · answer #5 · answered by Moonfairy 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
My parents have made adequate provision for their old age, but if something goes wrong I'll be more than willing to take care of them, after all they took care of me for the first 20 years of my life.
2007-11-14 17:35:53 · answer #6 · answered by MB1810 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The UK has Gordon Brown to blame for robbing the Pension Funds whilst he was Chancellor of the Exchequer.
2007-11-14 10:01:22 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know which is worse - resenting her for having to care or resenting yourself for the way you feel, because i am sure in her life she did more for you than you could ever return. I could never be grate full enough towards my mom for always being there and all her unconditional love
2007-11-14 06:51:27 · answer #8 · answered by cheri 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋