Elder Care How are we doing?

According to World Health Organization :

1. Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years will nearly double from 12% to 22%.
2. By 2020, the number of people aged 60 years and older will outnumber children younger than 5 years.
3. In 2050, 80% of older people will be living in low- and middle-income countries.
4. The pace of population ageing is much faster than in the past.
5. All countries face major challenges to ensure that their health and social systems are ready to make the most of this demographic shift.

I recently had this pressing need to scout out a care home, in the short term, for an extremely ill elderly in the family. As both my late parents didn’t have such a need and spent their last days at home, this was a novel experience for me and not one, I enjoyed embarking on. An unprecedented need had sprung up and a care home, as I mentioned, in the short term, had to be sourced. Having visited over twelve care homes and having contacted, may be twice as much, I was at my wits ends. This article is prompted by my experience of this extremely unpleasant task and what I learned about elderly care in Sri Lanka. Time travel to the past does not help. In ‘those days’, sick and the elderly were cared for lovingly at home, whatever the sickness is until death claimed them. We were taught to venerate the elderly, speak kindly, treat them courteously and ensure their well being always. To do this, there was a plethora of people, whether the children were in or out. Aunts and uncles, cousins and relatives, friends and neighbours, old faithfuls who spent their lifetime slaving in the wet kitchen, were all at hand, when the elder got ill or just got old. There were extra hands and legs to help out, stay-in or undertake the transport to and from the doctor. Please click on the link below to read full article.,

http://subs.epaper.lk/Epaper