Life
as we all know evolves in stages. From birth, we begin the process of
aging. All things being equal, majority of us will grow old. Thus it
will be apt to say that aging is inevitable for us. So why do we as a
society pay the least attention to this process. What kinda welfare
system should we have in order to adequately take care of our aged, (The
old people in our society/parents or relatives) especially the ones we
love.
as we all know evolves in stages. From birth, we begin the process of
aging. All things being equal, majority of us will grow old. Thus it
will be apt to say that aging is inevitable for us. So why do we as a
society pay the least attention to this process. What kinda welfare
system should we have in order to adequately take care of our aged, (The
old people in our society/parents or relatives) especially the ones we
love.
For
three years before my father passed, he was never paid his pension. My
mum is going through the same thing. I keep wondering, what if the
financial or emotional means to take care of them was lacking, they
probably will be like some of our aged pensioners who probably die
standing in line waiting for their pension that never came.
three years before my father passed, he was never paid his pension. My
mum is going through the same thing. I keep wondering, what if the
financial or emotional means to take care of them was lacking, they
probably will be like some of our aged pensioners who probably die
standing in line waiting for their pension that never came.
I
am of the opinion we are not doing enough as a society. It is
deplorable that so many people work and expend all their energy and when
they become old, there’s no one to really take care of them. In one
episode of my radio show (Talk Junction), we talked about the need for
parents to ensure that they bond with their children because we believe
that children who have a close bond with their parents are the ones most
likely to take charge and care of them in their old age. That’s the way
society is meant to evolve. we as children should be the ones to look
after our parents, yes it is the African way. They slaved and spent all
their lives looking after us so it is expected that we in return should
take care of them. My parents lived with me for several years after
their retirement. My widowed mum is 97 years old and I can’t imagine her
living anywhere else but with me. Being the primary caregiver and
living again under the same roof with your parents is an enormous role
reversal.
am of the opinion we are not doing enough as a society. It is
deplorable that so many people work and expend all their energy and when
they become old, there’s no one to really take care of them. In one
episode of my radio show (Talk Junction), we talked about the need for
parents to ensure that they bond with their children because we believe
that children who have a close bond with their parents are the ones most
likely to take charge and care of them in their old age. That’s the way
society is meant to evolve. we as children should be the ones to look
after our parents, yes it is the African way. They slaved and spent all
their lives looking after us so it is expected that we in return should
take care of them. My parents lived with me for several years after
their retirement. My widowed mum is 97 years old and I can’t imagine her
living anywhere else but with me. Being the primary caregiver and
living again under the same roof with your parents is an enormous role
reversal.
Most
of us living with aged parents find it difficult to balance our own
busy schedules with looking after an aged parent so much so that
sometimes it could be misconstrued as not caring. For some, it could be
that the global financial mess, has left us thinking about self and our
survival only. But this piece is about those who can but don’t want to. I
am of the opinion that not just government but also the corporate
bodies need to focus more on developing policies that protect this age
bracket. In more developed society it is very easy to see a nursing home
systems that caters to the old people but how effective can that be in
our country. This is a place where most pensioners can’t even get access
to their pension after retirement. Corruption has eaten so deep into
our various systems that even the basic are not provided by the system.
For me nursing homes are so impersonal and that is not our culture in
Africa.
of us living with aged parents find it difficult to balance our own
busy schedules with looking after an aged parent so much so that
sometimes it could be misconstrued as not caring. For some, it could be
that the global financial mess, has left us thinking about self and our
survival only. But this piece is about those who can but don’t want to. I
am of the opinion that not just government but also the corporate
bodies need to focus more on developing policies that protect this age
bracket. In more developed society it is very easy to see a nursing home
systems that caters to the old people but how effective can that be in
our country. This is a place where most pensioners can’t even get access
to their pension after retirement. Corruption has eaten so deep into
our various systems that even the basic are not provided by the system.
For me nursing homes are so impersonal and that is not our culture in
Africa.
For
people like us who don’t have the benefits of earning any pension, we
are on our own. God forbid that in our old age we become either a
liability to our children or worse still, a liability to ourselves. We
have all seen the antecedents of government towards the aged and until a
miracle happens, I’m not sure that will change anytime soon. I have
never worked for anyone so what I’ve done is that through all the years,
I have consistently put aside a monthly savings in a fixed account on
regular basis which I haven’t touched for over 30 years despite
sometimes my financial hardship. Planing, saving and discipline is the
key to making the twilight years of our lives easier.
people like us who don’t have the benefits of earning any pension, we
are on our own. God forbid that in our old age we become either a
liability to our children or worse still, a liability to ourselves. We
have all seen the antecedents of government towards the aged and until a
miracle happens, I’m not sure that will change anytime soon. I have
never worked for anyone so what I’ve done is that through all the years,
I have consistently put aside a monthly savings in a fixed account on
regular basis which I haven’t touched for over 30 years despite
sometimes my financial hardship. Planing, saving and discipline is the
key to making the twilight years of our lives easier.
A
lot of people wake up to the reality that after years of service, they
don’t have much to show for it and that can lead to bitterness in old
age. My summary on this will be to advice all of us to learn to
cultivate the habit of saving for this phase of our life’s. We must
imbibe the attitude of saving for the rainy day and our old age is the
rainy day.
lot of people wake up to the reality that after years of service, they
don’t have much to show for it and that can lead to bitterness in old
age. My summary on this will be to advice all of us to learn to
cultivate the habit of saving for this phase of our life’s. We must
imbibe the attitude of saving for the rainy day and our old age is the
rainy day.
One day, we
as parents won’t be able to drive, to climb stairs, or maybe even change
our own clothes or feed ourselves. As painful as thinking about this
might be, we need to prepare for our comfort and safety in the last
stages of our lives. My prayer for us parents is to have children who
will keep us company in our old age maybe take care of us with love and
anything else. Ka chineke mezieokwu.
as parents won’t be able to drive, to climb stairs, or maybe even change
our own clothes or feed ourselves. As painful as thinking about this
might be, we need to prepare for our comfort and safety in the last
stages of our lives. My prayer for us parents is to have children who
will keep us company in our old age maybe take care of us with love and
anything else. Ka chineke mezieokwu.