A fair amount of people choose not to have children. Hey thats OK, its an individual choice. But I have to tell you that it makes for a rough life when you are elderly. When you need help and there is no one there to help you.
I see this over and over. People who are trying to manage by themselves and not very well. How badly they are managing comes to light when they come to the ER. Medics come to pick them up and the house is a disaster area. They are too frail to take care of it. They barely manage to take care of themselves.
I had a guy come in because a medical condition was so bad, he had no choice but to come to the hospital. He was alone, is his own home, no kids, no relatives in the area. They lived hundreds of miles away. Of course he didn't want to bother them. After all, they had their own families. So he did the best he couldI for as long as he could.
He knew that he could no longer take care of himself, would have to go somewhere else. He knew he would have to sell his house but had nobody to help him. He needed a nursing home and he knew it. The fact that he had property would mean he wouldn't be eligible for help with the expense. I would be that his house is a mess. Probably needs a lot of cleaning, updating to even get it ready for a sale. Who was going to pay for that?
There are no people in the world who are in place to help people like this. They are left to fend for themselves.
I have been a baby nurse in Los Angeles for many years now. You see some terrible things, but knowing that I might make a difference in just one life helps get me through the tough days.
ReplyDeleteRealistically, nobody should have kids with the expectations of having them help out. I know an elderly woman who had 5 children. (When she was younger of course) ---- not ONE of them helps her with anything. They're all drug addicts or 'floaters' in life -- gypsies. Best thing for older folks to do is get involved in a church and establish friendships. That's the most important thing. This woman would go to the ER just because she was lonely. Would complain about SOMETHING, but just to have people around she would resort to calling 911.
ReplyDeleteSad…frustrating for you…but sad.