AGE CARE Sunday 18th April 2010

Look after the young people, they've got a long way to go.

Look after the old people they've come a long way.

But, that doesn't mean you have to do every thing for them.

A lot of these people are very well off. When my mother, Doreen died, she could buy and sell a lot of people. This was a women who never did any paid work after she was married, who together with my dad did a good job of feeding and watering four boys. Bert and Doreen looked after their finances and there was enough left over for the boys to top up their super at the end of it.

For the last 10 years of her lifeDoreen was in a nursing home, holding on valiantly until she was 92. I think she would have liked to go a few years earlier but apparently you're not allowed to.

In one of my last conversations with her I asked her what the meals were like. She said, 'Not bad, but I've only been here a few days!'

There is this impression in the public mind that old equals poor.

Not so. There are hundreds and thousands of people who are quite well off living in nursing homes who don't need any support.

If you stay in your own home until your 95 you look after yourself. If you get wheeled into a nursing home when you're 80 you can expect to be looked after by the State, regardless of your financial, circumstances. Seems a strange set up to me.

The other policy initiative we're lacking is active support and encouragement of that dreadful practice what cannot speak its name but goes under the code word of 'youth in Asia!'

I'm thinking about getting a bottle of Nembutal when next I go overseas. The problem is, by the time I want to use it I'll have probably forgotten where I left it.

Come Monday the Commonwealth Government will have tipped another billion dollars into nursing homes. Proprietors and nursing home staff will be licking their chops.

On the track
A very good workout. Almost made level 8 on the stepper for 40 minutes - got over 800 steps, which means good shape. 607 Calories will also act as a handy buffer for the night before.

In the meantime stay tuned, highly tuned and don't get old too soon.

John Miller
www.fitandhealthyonline.com
www.globalbackcare.com