Sep 11, 2016

The Changing World of Families

Once upon a time extended families lived together.

The “maiden aunt” helped out, looking after babies and young children, often preparing delicious meals – which was a tremendous asset to any family. Mum and dad could go to work, enjoy their sports and social activities knowing the children and in fact the whole household was cared for.

These days, children often leave the family early – living in a shared student accommodation, living with friends or in an apartment on their own.

And so we face the question as mum and dad grow old: What do we do about Mum and Dad?

So we gather together the family clan and this question is asked. The answer in many cases is, what about a retirement village?

These come in many shapes and sizes. Some provide simply, accommodation. These can be single units, double units and freestanding cottages. Others also provide numerous activities to give residents a reason to live. Many years ago, I and a colleague were appointed by the Federal Government to go unannounced to nursing homes and assess the whole situation for example accommodation, food, activities, staff performance and caring procedures. There was a range of Government standards that had to be met. If they continually refuse to meet the standards they would be in danger of being closed down. Such regulations still apply today.

The fact is that mum and dad are often safely cared for and in general can be said to live fulfilling lives. However, it is still up to the children to keep in touch, and visit their parents and take them for outings and for a change of scenery and where possible on holidays.

In this modern society we must not forget to care.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

How a Personal Tragedy Inspired the Need to Help Others

In September 2015 my wife and I quit our corporate jobs and started creating a new organisation that would change the lives of people in the community. Focusing on social integration of vulnerable and isolated people who really just want to get out, meet people and have a good time. This is my story: Life... Read More

Financial Abuse: Call for Banks to Hire Elder Protection Officers

Financial abuse is a common form of elder abuse where people take advantage of older people and swindle them out of their money. Sometimes this can be done by a serial con-artist, preying on the weak, and other times it the older person’s own family members. Financial abuse can be challenging to prevent because there... Read More

Who Magazine comes of age

Since its earliest days in Australia, I’ve been monitoring Who Magazine’s annual feature on the “Most Beautiful People”. Once a year, it presents a mix of international and local celebrities of various sorts, both genders, and a cross-section of ages. The reason for my monitoring stems – of course – from my interest in how ageing is presented... Read More
Advertisement