Do you think society bears a collective responsibility to provide a clean, pleasant living environment for the elderly and the disabled? If people knew that the government would guarantee them a clean, pleasant home or apartment when they grew old, would it discourage people from working hard and saving money? If people knew that the government would provide a clean, pleasant living environment to people who are physically incapable of taking care of themselves, would it discourage people from living a healthy lifestyle? Are these good reasons to oppose government support for the elderly and the disabled? The song below was first published in 1874.
No, I don't think the opportunity of care would make people save less money, work less hard, or not take care of themselves. How people spend their last few years alive often depends on how much money they have. The more they have saved, the better care they can receive. The better health they have stayed in, the longer they can stay out of a nursing home/hospice. I believe the only people who will take "advantage" of this system are those who are desperately poor with no one to turn to. But of course, one can always go to jail to receive similar benefits. I also believe that with modern governmental benefits, there are fewer and fewer people in these desperate situations.
ReplyDeleteWorking with Alaskan Natives for the last few months has shown me another culture - one where the elders are placed on a pedestal. Their wisdom is truly valued. However, part of my job here is to inspect senior centers (the term used here for nursing homes). The elders are the most respected people in Alaskan Native culture, yet the "senior centers" are still full. This is just the sign of a changing world.
Now that I'm thinking about this, last December I actually worked in a modern-day poorhouse. I had gone to Nepal to work with Rotary, and our project was providing medical assistance to an "oldage" home. The only people in this oldage home were the homeless, the desperately poor, and those abandoned by their families. There were about 20 beds crammed side by side in a decrepit building. All food and goods they received was what was donated (typically just rice and soup). This oldage home was formed after the owner saw an old homeless man die huddled under a bridge; now the people in this home get shelter and simple meals until they pass away. They are treated like human beings now, rather than being treated like homeless animals.
After seeing this, I definitely agree that we owe our elders a safe environment. Back to the main question, I really don't believe that anyone can "take advantage" of a system (free housing/care) in which the system is a safe place for them to go and (after a few years) die.
Maybe I got off topic lol.
I really agree with Linzi on this question. The vast majority of the elderly have spent most of their lives sustaining our society. I do not believe this would discourage saving money, because money is needed throughout your life, not just at the end. Better health and well-being is desirable, so I don't see how that will be a problem.
DeleteI will say I wonder how this will play out in generations to come. Specifically, I wonder about my generation and those after it. We've grown up with instant gratification and a culture that looks to make things quicker, easier, and more efficient; we've grown up in a world that contrasts that of the generation which is reaching retirement age/being put in nursing homes. I question whether our upbringing will come into play when we grow older.
You didn't go off topic Linzi, but instead hit a homerun!! I do see how people couldn't "really take advantage of the free care, but at the same time it could cause unemployment to rise and people taking less care for their own bodies. Some people are going to seek routes and paths that will help them store up money for their last years. And others will seek a quicker and more convenient way of life by just "getting by" in life. There are a variety of individuals that will see the system as good or bad or even worth the time. Thank you for sharing Linzi and Sidney.
DeleteI don't necessarily believe that our society has a responsibility to provide comfortable living for the elderly. Though our parents become independent from us when we become independent from them, and they will inevitably become dependent as they age, we, as children, are only "responsible" for them through the custom that we must take care of our parents when they become elderly. However, I would hope that our humanity and awareness that we will one day be in that position would prompt us to do what we can to make that clean, pleasant environment available to our elders. I also believe that people will still be saving and working hard throughout their lives, and that effort won't end because they are reaching retirement age and the government provides a comfortable home. People would still maintain a healthy lifestyle, not deserting it simply because someone will be giving them their medications for them later. Despite my faith, I wouldn't doubt that some people may take advantage of what they've been granted, but they would not be the majority. I feel like any opposition to government-funded retirement homes would be from those who regularly oppose government involvement in daily life, or from single-issue parties who believe the money could be better used for other issues.
ReplyDeleteFrom your perspective I see that you are attempting to put down the belief that the "less fortunate" would take advantage of the system and put it upon a general minority. People are all different and just expecting one group or affiliation to selfishly use the system would be cruel judgment and stereotyping. I also believe that we need to continue to take care of our parents and elderly. They must be constantly receiving gentle and comfortable care from whoever can give it to them (specifically their children/family). If we begin to see that we will eventually get to that stage in our lives too (like you said) then we will be more inclined to help and assist them in their daily tasks.
DeletePoorhouses in America have evolved into so much better facilities and circumstances. Through it all I expect only better conditions to become of this and much more. Our society does have a responsibility to make sure that we have a great and secure place in which our elderly and older generation can be taken care of in assisted living centers, nursing homes, and home health programs. We as people need to understand that we can either improve our country by using our skills and talents to form a utopian of self-serving individuals for our elderly or only raise up our own wants and dreams above others. I am not saying to not follow your dreams, but I do feel like if more of us (the younger generation) put more of our time into studying laws and rules of elderly care and benefits then we have a better chance of keeping it for us and the generations to come. So yes I do believe that we can take advantage of the system given to us, but in all reality not everybody is going to receive the same exact treatment and care.
ReplyDeleteYes, society does owe each and every human the right to a clean and well kept home. They also deserve to have any medical treatment available. Do I think that is possible in today's society? No. Our economy is failing and there is just not enough workforce to sustain such an idea. It is depressing to think about honestly. There are not enough care-taker jobs out there for every person to be properly taken care of in their old age. Next question. Yes, I do believe that it would discourage people from working hard. Look at where we are now! People don't work because they know they can get on welfare. You see it everyday when you go out. People spending other peoples taxes on toys and other things they do not need. I hate to not give the benefit of the doubt to our people but they have already proven that some people will not work if they are not forced to. Next question. I do not think that it would impact whether or not someone is going to smoke, drink, or stop eating fast food daily. Maybe subconsciously people would fall back on it but not in their immediate thoughts plan on it. Next question. Yes and no. People need support in old age, we all know this. Some do not deserve it but we do not have an all seeing eye that tells us whether or not someone has been naughty or nice. We should try to give help to all people but I know that is a long shot. I like the idea of the old days that the family should take care of their elderly and disabled and not leave them to suffer alone in their home or in a nursing home where the people see them as a job rather than humans.
ReplyDeleteProblems such as treating patients and residents as part of the job than people is common and unfortunately seen as much as the day is young. I have witnessed that too and by working in the nursing field I am able to identify those that truly are there to be compassionate and caring. Just wanted to point that out. So here is the real question- do I think that people would take advantage of our health care if they knew that they would be supported no matter what? Yes because in this day and age there seems to be a ever growing increase of the feeling of entitlement. Its sad but true. Many people use this beneficial route as a way to avoid hard work and honest labor. I know that this is not the majority but I do know and take note that the amount of people on welfare could not possibly be that much. Therefore there are people right now taking advantage of this support.
DeleteI do believe that people should at least have an opportunity for a clean and well kept home, however I would hope people wouldn't just take advantage of it. Overall, I would think people wouldn't work or save less, mainly because they do have to care for themselves all the way up until they are able to retire, in which case, they need to have enough money available to sustain themselves. How well they do so is up to them, whether they have the prospect of being provided care later on or not. Regardless, old age does often require people to have a support system, though the level of care required varies from person to person, so that option to a facility where they are cared for is a necessity.
ReplyDelete-Amanda Kramer
Growing up, you’re always told to respect your elders. I believe that carries over into caring for them. I definitely think that we owe it to our elderly and disabled to give them a living environment that actually seems like home. As for the other questions, I can’t quite answer them. Some people naturally take the easy way out. Those humans might work less and save less money. However, I’d like to believe that the majority of people would live an honest life, and for them, we shouldn’t let the others affect their future.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that society bears a “responsibility” to the elderly or the infirm to provide for them a space in which to live when they can no longer provide for themselves. This is not to say we should provide a space for those that choose not to work or choose not to provide those things for themselves. If space was available, for free, for elderly and infirm peoples, I believe that it would lead people to spend more money and take more chances in their lives. Why wouldn’t you? But how is that good reasoning for opposing support for this idea? The extra money spent outside of healthcare and provisions for such would actually stimulate and boost our country’s economy, rather than cause a problem such as the stagnantion that recently happened in the United States. If people are spending rather than hoarding, society flows better. (Not to say that people shouldn’t save ANY money. In this hypothetical situation, people would spend the money that they would usually save for end-of-live expenses)
ReplyDelete- Colin Saner
I believe that society should bear a collective responsibility to provide a clean, pleasant living environment for the elderly and the disabled. These are people in our society who are not physically able to work and live without assistance, so as a society we should not make them suffer by living in poor, unclean conditions. I do not believe that providing clean living in old age will change anything when it comes to how people save money. Those who work and save money throughout their lives will still continue this lifestyle pattern, regardless of what housing is provided. Those who do not save money throughout their lives, on the other hand, will continue to live like normally do as well. The same thought can be applied to people maintaining healthy lifestyles. If a person wants to be healthy, then they will try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If a person chooses not to be healthy, then they will continue living this way. Providing clean and pleasant housing will not change how a person acts. In all reality, it will just keep those who made poor decisions in their life from suffering in the end, which makes the arguments opposing government support for the elderly and disabled are not solid.
ReplyDeleteBoth of my parents are nurses. Growing up, I would often hear stories of elderly people, who did not have an immediate family or family that would claim them, coming to the hospital and feigning illness. This was, and still is, hard for me to imagine. We owe something to our elders. What we owe to our own may not be the same thing that someone else owes to their elders. If anything, they started the family.
ReplyDeleteTo provide a clean, safe, living environment would be very difficult. Look at other government programs. The VA is a prime example. No one there really cares about working with haste. It may take a while to find an opening, and then finding people to keep the conditions up to par.
In my mothers experience as a case manager, she is forced to either send them home and a connection with Hospice, or put them into a nursing home.