According to the Tories, 45,000 people every year are forced to sell their homes to pay for their own care - an iniquitous "tax" on our decrepitude, and a disincentive to approach old age even slightly comfortably off. Anything - and the options include an insurance scheme, or a charge on your estate - has to be better than forcing people to cash in everything.
But, even assuming we can get the funding for care right, does that really give us "choice"? Most of us would choose to die in the comfort of our own home, but only a fifth manage that meagre aspiration.
We don't have a real choice as to whether we die at home or in a hospital or hospice because the medical and nursing support to make care at home a universal right are simply not there, nor ever likely to be. As for a care home, the only real choice we have is as to which establishment gets our money.
We all, secretly, have our own end of life strategy. For me, I would wish, perhaps, to disappear into the wide blue yonder having failed to wrestle my motorbike around a nasty bend on a deserted Scottish highland road… preferably aged 89. The idea of snoozing my last years away in the TV room of a care home, not knowing where or who I am fills me with dread.
Science allows us to live longer and longer, but cannot necessarily make those extra years fulfilling or even bearable. A few weeks ago, we applauded when Henry Allingham, aged 113, became the world's oldest man. One of the few left alive to have served in the First World War, Henry is undoubtedly a happy man. But at the same time, a steady stream of people much younger than he have made the journey to Switzerland to end their days at the Dignitas clinic. The latest of these is the conductor Sir Edward Downes and his wife Lady Joan. At 85, he was virtually blind and losing his hearing, while she, at 74, was suffering from cancer. A statement from their family expresses sadness, but says the couple "died peacefully, and under circumstances of their own choosing".
Police are investigating the circumstances of the deaths, but no one has been prosecuted in relation to any of the 100-plus people to have gone to Switzerland for assisted suicide. We have a good old-fashioned British hypocrisy about this matter: we tacitly allow it to happen in Switzerland but cannot get around to reforming our own law on assisted suicide, which still has a maximum sentence of 14 years in jail. A free vote in the House of Lords days ago defeated a proposal to remove the threat of prosecution from those who go abroad to help an assisted suicide.
The subject won't go away, because polls suggest the public are much more ready than the politicians to discuss a change in the law. When the government has sorted out who pays the bills for our old people's homes, there is an altogether thornier "end of life" strategy to consider.
Newsflash - every teenager thinks like this
AT the age of 15 years and seven months, Matthew Robson is the worldwide font of all wisdom on teenage life.
Doing a work experience placement at global finance giant Morgan Stanley, Matthew was set to work researching how teenagers consume media.
After a day of furious texting to his mates, the London lad tapped out a report now being scoured for business insights by fund managers, chief executives and analysts from New York to Tokyo.
Matthew's conclusions? Teenagers don't listen to the radio, they use streaming online music sites. Teenagers communicate via Facebook, and chat to others via games consoles connected to the internet. Teenagers don't tend to buy CDs, preferring iPods or mobile phones. Twitter is not for young people, it's for old people who believe their every thought and action is utterly fascinating to others.
Well, doh! No surprises there for any parent of teenagers. Perhaps if those titans of commerce had stopped blinding each other with corporate blather, gone home and engaged their own kids in conversation, they would not need to be poring over Matthew Robson's essay.
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It is very sad that after years of contributing to the system, that most people have to give up their savings or property to pay for care.
We give free care to any person that enters the country from anywhere else in the world and they haven't contributed 1 ounce.
Again people that work hard and don't burden the system through their working life are being taxed again as aposed to those who sit on the welfare state and continue to get care for free in old age as well.
Simple, stop giving free handouts to imigrants until they have paid tax for ten years, make them take out private health insurance and give them nothing until they have contributed. We would soon see how many people really want to come to Britain for it's culture and all that money saved would look after the old people, many of which layed their lives on the line to ensure Briatin was great. How ashamed I am to allow these people to end their days the way the do.
The overwhelming majority of people do not end their days in care homes. a simple look at the number of care home places available in the Government statistics will show that is the case. The figure for care home place is in single figures percentage wise against the relevant population numbers.
As for having to sell the family home to pay for care, that is a problem which can be surmounted if people think far enough ahead ans consult specialist lawyers on transferring property ownership while still very young and healthy. Where there's a "will" there's a way!
With regard to UK law on assisted suicide. To my knowledge no one has ever been successfully prosecuted. Our existing law works excellently, so why change it. To change the law would open a pandora's box.
Let me get this straight: "... we tacitly allow it to happen in Switzerland but cannot get around to reforming our own law on assisted suicide, which still has a maximum sentence of 14 years in jail."
Surely, what happens 'legally' in Switzerland, is nothing to do with the UK. We (tacitly) 'allow' it?
How would you suggest we make the Swiss change their laws on the matter... send a jolly old gunboat? (Could be problematic.)
The current legislation in the UK should remain as it is... until I decide I want to get off.
as a taxpayer week upon week i feel more and more let down by our government and all the things they're allowing to happen in this country.
all the money im paying out in tax out of my wage, what i buy when i shop and whats taxed on my lifestyle just seems to be being wasted. nothing is being spent on keeping this country and the people of this country who actually contribute to it.
its going on job's for the boys and girls at the top, the lazy scroungers who do nothing with their lives other than take take take. and people who shouldnt really be here.
i can now see why people cheat the benefits system or avoiding paying income tax. they what something back! because we dont seem to be getting anything back and years down the line when we'll expect help in old age there will be nothing! the pot will be empty!
the taxation and welfare state needs sorting and soon or else ist will be a mess! the debt in this country will grow and grow.
and this will become a third world country too!
If you are old and incapable of looking after yourself, and, more to the point, your family are not prepared to take on that burdon, why should the state free of charge.
The person concerned has a very valuable asset and that, quite properly in my opinion, should be used to pay for the care needs of the individual.
The alternative is that the undeserving family will inherit a lot more money that they have ANY moral right to get.
Of course, some forward planning with a property protection trust written into the wills of both partners at a cost of a few hundered pounds would totally avoid the position, but, for many people, they think that it is money wasted as their parents are not going to need any care, are they?
I accept that my view is not the norm, but am convinced that it is correct.
Just ask yourselves how many Asian old people finish up in a care home. Not a lot. Their families understand that caring for their old is a duty!!!!!
Knowsleyman...your comments are not out of the norm. Many more families care for their elderly, than are in homes. Admittedly that will gradually change due to the fractured nature of modern family set ups, but even so the numbers in care home are very much in a small minority. Long may this continue, and the government can encourage this by redirecting more resources at carers, these people do a magnificent job and save the country billions each year.
I imagine that there are many people who dont wish to be cared for by their family,for numerous reasons.Ive seen families falling out over 'carer' money where none actually want to do the caring.
I think that we have lost the value of everything due to counting the cost. When I was a boy, I was sent over Aunty Norah's (real person but not related) each day after school to see if she needed something from the local shops. Alll the other neighbours would ask if she needed anything if they were going shopping. It cost nothing until it wascalculated .