"When I am old, I want to go to live in a retirement home": a reflection that ignites debate
The care of the elderly, especially those who constantly need attention because they are no longer self-sufficient, has always been a much debated topic and one that opens up discussions on several fronts. On the one hand, many people express the desire to grow old by relying on the affection and care of their family, that is of their children and grandchildren, but on the other hand there are also those who would never want to become a burden to their own children. There are those who hope to "leave before" they are no longer self-sufficient and those who wish to move directly to a retirement home. One user, in particular, said he was very convinced that "When I am old, I want to go to a retirement home".
"Can you imagine that one day your own children will be forced to change your diaper?" the writer asks the virtual Reddit audience, shocked at the very thought. And don't say that changing the diaper of a 6-month-old baby is equivalent to changing it for an 80-year-old man: it is not the same thing, because the elderly are deeply demeaned by this necessary care. Wouldn't it be fairer to everyone, then, for it to be an external person, specialized in nursing, to provide for certain types of care?
The writer in question came to the conclusion that he preferred a dignified retirement home to the loss of dignity in front of his children in the course of old age. Children and grandchildren who, in any case, have to manage their own lives and their families, already with great difficulty. Adding a further burden to this doesn't seem to convince the author of this controversial post.
With this pronouncement, the user wants to try to normalize the choice of the retirement home as an optimistic solution, which brings everyone together, elderly parents and children. Against his position, many other readers have commented on how economically unrealistic it is that most older people could actually opt for a long-term stay in a retirement home. Not to mention the fact that every retirement home should guarantee safety and must maintain the dignity of every patient, which unfortunately does not always happen. We can certainly agree with not wanting to be a burden on our children, but the question seems much broader than that to us.
What do you think? Tell us in the comments!
