Band 6+: These days people are living into their 90's and beyond. As a result, there is increasing concern about care for the elderly. Do you think it is the responsibility of the family to care for their elderly members or should the government be held responsible?

Nowadays, there are some people who can live their life up to the age of 90 or more. While this shows us that there is an inclined in life expectancy, some people think that this results in an increasing concern about the care for the elderly that should be taken into account. In this essay, I will argue about why there should be a fair-shared responsibility between family and the government in taking care of the elder generations.

Firstly, we need to consider the fact that most of the time, the elders are faced with loneliness because the adults (and children) in their family tend to have their own life and business to attend to. This awful feeling might get even worse, especially if the respective elders are living by their own without any close family member. In my opinion, it is the family’s responsibility to fully help the elderly cope with the feeling by doing things like frequently visiting them, taking them outside to do recreational activities, and ask them to accompany family member to certain events. It will make them feel content, as well as giving them some sense of comfort, knowing that they are not just a mere burden for the family.

However, this does not mean that the government does not have its own obligation. The government should be able to do their part, specifically in terms of making and applying the right public policies that are inclusive and convenient for the targeted population. For example, the government can provide great healthcare facilities, proper nursing home, and establish open spaces that are age-friendly, which allow the elders to meet and make friends with one another. On a side note, the government should also be able to look after the elders that don’t have family to begin with, by assigning social worker and making sure that their needs are fulfilled.

This essay argued about how both family and the government should do their own respective part in taking care of the elders. In my opinion, family and the government have their own responsibilities that complement each other. Hence, there should be a shared responsibility between the two parties to achieve the care needed by the elder generations.