Band 6+: If old people are no longer physically, mentally or financially able to look after themselves, younger family members should be legally responsible for supporting them. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

There is a suggestion that younger family members should have legal responsibility to give assistance to the older who could not look after themselves. In my opinion, I partly disagree with that outlook.

It seems reasonable to propose that the younger members have an inherent moral obligation to assume responsibility to aid the elderly members. First, it would reduce the burden for the government to look after senior citizens. As a result, the government could save a lot of resources, such as finance, human and time for confronting other problems. In addition, family bonds are built on love, care and mutual support. When aging parents who used to nurture carefully their children reach a point that are unable to care for themselves, children should repay them for all of their upbringing to knit the family connection.

However, it is my belief that the old should be well-equipped with financial and mental help from outside sources to take care of themselves without extensive helps of the young. One reason is that the duty to support family elderly individuals would put more pressure on the young. Carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders makes them impossibly care for the counterparts. How a person could simultaneously assist the elderly members and make all-out efforts to climb the career ladder? And how the children could aid their own aging parents when they are struggling to make ends meet? Moreover, in our modern world, there exist a range of charity communities and organizations where the seniors could rely on. These organizations and communities could provide them with sufficient care services, financial and accommodation assistance,… Thus, the younger family members do not need to take care of the older.

In conclusion, I am not in favour of the perspective that government should establish legal responsibility for younger family members to assist the older members when they are helpless. Although it would reduce government’s burden and be a chance for the younger to strengthen family bonds, the consequence would be putting more pressure on the young and the charity organizations and communities could handle the elderly.