A revelation

[MTPorcupine3]

I was just listening to Gordon's Law Hour on We The People Radio Network, www.wtprn.com archives on the Ten Commandments. He was on the fifth: Honour thy father and thy mother...

Here's a paraphrase of Gordon's comment that raised my eyebrows: Traditionally children have always taken care of their elderly parents. Until recent decades it was unheard of to send one's parents off to a retirement facility. Could it be that people who send their parents away today are getting back at their parents (or simply following their parents' example) for having sent them off to government run schools instead of caring for and instructing them at home?

Hmmm.

[John Edward Mercier]

More a complication of the modern economy and increasing lifespan.

[Moebius Tripp]

More a complication of the modern economy and increasing lifespan.

I just read recently (i don't recall where) that life expectancy at the peak of the roman empire was around 50-60 (iirc), and went down to about 25-30 in the middle ages.

Here's a paraphrase of Gordon's comment that raised my eyebrows: Traditionally children have always taken care of their elderly parents. Until recent decades it was unheard of to send one's parents off to a retirement facility. Could it be that people who send their parents away today are getting back at their parents (or simply following their parents' example) for having sent them off to government run schools instead of caring for and instructing them at home?

Somewhere in the NT Jesus rails against this, talking about "by your traditions you make the Word of God of no effect", how people said that anything their parents gave them was a gift, and therefore don't owe 'em anything.

The whole idea of "generation gap" deprives the newer generations of the wisdom of the elders.  Wasn't so long ago that open carry and hemp and holding public "servants" accountable were normal and prevalent.

[Friday]

Here's a paraphrase of Gordon's comment that raised my eyebrows: Traditionally children have always taken care of their elderly parents. Until recent decades it was unheard of to send one's parents off to a retirement facility. Could it be that people who send their parents away today are getting back at their parents (or simply following their parents' example) for having sent them off to government run schools instead of caring for and instructing them at home?

Hmmm.

Interesting idea, but I tend to doubt it.  People have been sending their kids to school since the last century.  But old folks' homes are a fairly recent development. 

Here's an idea: how much of an effect did the personal automobile have on eldercare?  It used to be, most people lived in the same town their whole life.  It wasn't so onerous to go over to Mom and Dad's house to check up on them if they were within walking distance.  Now, it's very common for people to live in a different state than the one in which they grew up.  When their parents become sickly, people must make a difficult choice: relocate back to their hometown to care for their parent; move their parent in with them (which is stressful for both parties, and potentially humiliating for the parent); or put the parent in a managed care facility in their own town, where at least any local family and friends are still within visiting distance. 

Also, multiple generations of families used to stay in the same house.  Now, it's almost a social obligation for a young adult to get out of their parents' house.   

I think, in general, cross-cultural terms, old people used to remain fairly useful until close to the end.  They could cook, garden, watch the kids, etc.  With modern medicine, many people continue to hang on long after they've got anything to contribute.  That may sound harsh, but it's true.  There are lots of elderly who are completely incapable of basic personal care and require 24-hour supervision, like a baby, and can stay that way for years.  And whereas it used to be common for families to have several children, who could share the burden, many families today have only one or two children.

On a related note, here are a couple of really sad articles I read earlier today about some of the social ramifications of an aging population:
Record number of Japanese elderly kill themselves
More Japanese elderly turn to petty crime

[David]

My grandmother on my dads side ran a nursing home out of her house.  I think she had about 7 or 8 beds, and the bills were paid out of the persons social security or pension.  My father as a kid helped, my grandmother did the more delicate stuff.  She was essentually put out of business by the licensing and codes.  The fire codes were a big one.  Now the cost of a nursing home can run about 3000 dollars per month.  Undoubtable safer, but unsustainable.