Old Folks Homes

national | politics / elections | opinion/analysis

Tuesday December 12, 2006 11:16

by fourth mary

The Women are Not Happy

Last night Mary Harney released a programme to deal with the elderly,
as she is not far off that stage of life herself you would think that
problem solving and a bit of wry humour would inform her obviously
jaundiced world view.

But Progressive liberalism forgets that there is such a thing as family
and community, and the women I have spoken to today are not pleased
with the present government interfering (again) in the privacy of the
family- by dipping into the home (as equity for 'care')

Progressive my left eyeball

All that some older people have are their homes,their things and most of them
want to be surrounded by those little intimate things that make up their life
stories. They do not see their home as equity to fund care. Mostly older
people do really like to continue to live independent lives within their communities.

Mostly older people like to have the home and the things to pass on to their kids
as reminders of the family story- such as the wedding rings, or the family
photos. intimate things and of course some things which are connected to
sorrow and loss- precious things basically.

now the evil minister for health is turning the intimate familial things into a resource
to aid the exchequer in relation to the care of the elderly. and the women I spoke to
think she lacks a heart. it means to them that if they need long-term care which
they would not want , but rather than burden the kids they would accept it, they
must allow the state to mooch around and value the things that are precious
to them in order to extract its pound of flesh.

So B tells me this:- Her husband, daughter and grandson have died in her home.
One from grief, one from cancer and one from cot death.
How in terms of value is this going to be adjucticated by a heartless state?

How is the loss of a sister, father and child going to be carved up to benefit
a rich state that has not put into place the care in the community sector.
that has enriched the private sector and has run down state supports.

B will be voting this time around.
she is opposed to the party of Privatisation.
she is opposed to the party who think that
the idea of a family as politcal currency is ok.

she has a nigerian daughter in law whom she loves very much.
I will accompany B to the ballot- she is a democrat, but not a 'progressive' one.
she thinks they are shit.