Old homes are designed to provide comfort or end-of-life care to the geriartric population. For some people it is through their own consent that they choose to stay at an old home, a fraction of them are medically advised, while for others it is the only means of having a roof above their heads.
In my opinion, for people who go on to live beyond a certain age and reach a part of their lives where they are no longer able to look after themselves, the governemt, should bear the complete expense for their care at old homes. Just like there are government funded nurseries, schools, colleges, universities, catering to the eduation and development of toddlers, adolscents, adults, etc. it is only right for the goverment to be funding for the well-being of the individuals on the other end of the age spectrum as well.
Furthermore, owing to the fact that these people spend their lives serving the country’s economy, paying taxes, striving in the work-force, the government should give back to them in their old age.
Additionally, an unfortunate aspect that can arise with families especially distant family members paying for a person’s expenses can be a lack of willingness, which would directly impact the quality of care being provided to the individual. However, if this is maintained at a government level, there will be autonomy in the quality of care regardless of the families contribution.
Therefore, as far as I am concerned, the cost of care at old homes should be provided by the government as not only a measure of humanity and respect to the elderly but also to ensure equality of service and comfort for all residents.