Sunday, December 24, 2006

Dumping of the elderly...

A serious problem arising here in the UAE is with the amount of elderly being given over to senior citizen homes (which is an evil thing no matter how you look at it), but the worst problem is that we dont have enough of these homes to cope with the situation! Whats worse? being shipped away from your family, or discovering that youre family sent you without checking availability?

ma yst7oon

Flaw - Best I am

7 comments:

secretdubai said...

It is sad, but people with advanced Alzheimer's Disease really need specialist care. My grandfather went through it: the family nursed him for as long as they were able (many, many years) but in the final stages he needed to be in a proper hospital.

The thing about geriatric diseases is that when the old person loses their memory, they don't always know where they are - at home or in a hospital - and as it progresses they no longer even recognise family members, which can be very painful for everyone.

Certain stages of dementia can also include violence, where the elderly person may try to attack his or carers. My grandmother was the meekest, quietest, kindest woman alive, but even she went through this stage, attacking other elderly people at the nursing home she was in.

I don't think people should be put in nursing homes just because they are old: but if they are so ill or incapacitated or the family cannot look after them, then it is better that they get specialist care than get shut up in a back room. Bear in mind that people suffering from senile dementia often need to be physically contained, because they will wander off and get lost and perhaps end up in danger. It's very sad.

3li said...

specialist care is different,,, Thats when sickness sets in. Most of the old people put in homes are not sick, just old. Old people tend to be childish, and thats frustrating. I suppose this argument is similar to abortion, would rather get rid of the child or bear he responsibility of taking care of it?

Its a shame to see older people treated this way

MJ said...

Even if medical care is needed there's always the choice of having it in the house, it would mean more to everyone and make it easier to live with in the long run.

My great-grandmother lived with us for so many years, and when she started forgetting people around her I didn't understand it as a child but it meant so much to us to just be able to go and sit with her and that she's there, and even though she was not able to talk to us, I always felt that she knew that we're there and it helped her. They always say family help.

This is kind of off-topic but living through that made us learn first hand how parents are important. Our whole life was centered around her and all our plans, no matter what, were about what she is able to do. Children (and adults) should be subjected to that, just so they know that life is not about them only.

Jassim said...

I didnt come to this blog for several decades, but I have to say your post is a liitle naive.

Not every family can look after their elderly for many different reasons..and those reasons are probably getting more frequent. Alzheimer's disease at the moment is still a problem. The way research is going they'll probably have a cure for it when you reach older, but today alot of cases are happening more and more and if I ever became that sick with it, I would not want to put a pain on my family.

Yes Islam and our tradition says to look after our parents, but in this time I do not think everyone can afford to have that time.

Now with that said..I think there are lazy selfish people who just want to dump their parents away, and that is also sad and reflects bad on us.

3li said...

Jassim, READ MY LAST COMMENT, then call me naive.

I said people with sicknesses NEED to be treated,,, I take issue with old people being thrown into these homes who ARENT SICK...

"I do not think everyone can afford to have that time."

Thats your opinion.

I disagree. Making the time is what sets us apart from the rest of the cultures.

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Hot Lemon& Honey said...

I've just finished my geriatric psychiatry rotation, and I believe every case is different. As SD said the more advanced dementia gets the more difficult it gets to take care of the elderly. Even if they are not violent, they need alot of care, in terms of feeding, hygiene and everything you would do to a baby,except we are talking about adults. some are lucky to be able to afford a helper, some arn't.
Lets face it, in the past, our times were more flexible, we had more support. Now with the speedy life style and the expenses and the long hours at work, how can we expect anybody to be able to take care of them. Many can't.
It hurts me to see people finding other places for thier elderly to go when they don't need it. Not a good sign at all.