TheABC Sun 23-Feb-20 16:25:58

Well, it will go one of two ways:



-a national care service, in recognition that it's needed and best funded on a collective level. Not everyone will need care, but for those that do, there is that safety net. Yes, they will need some kind of care tax. It's unavoidable: pensions and healthcare costs are rising as we get older.



- alternatively, be prepared for some depressing scenarios around care. Alzheimer's did not appear to be as prevalent in Victorian times (for example), but you would still hear of granny upstairs in one room, visited with food and given a weekly sponge bath. That's not ideal and that is what people go on about, as an example of "looking after your own". No mention of a doubly-incontinent elderly man, spitting abuse and trying to wander down the street at midnight, by comparison. That level of care simply can't be done by one or two people: you need a team and the right facilities for them.



The other example held up is of people in China, India and Africa looking after their elderly. Again, an ideal as it presupposes someone at home and willing to do it. I have read really sobering stories of poorer families in China who had to lock their elders at home in order to work, or else they are found wandering around the village. Under the current benefits system, carers are given a paltry allowance and the reality is,if you have a mortgage or other dependents you need to work. Not to mention the rising pension age to 67. It's just not feasible.