Band 6+: You should spend about 40 minutes on this part. Write at least 250 words. Write about the following topic. In Britain, when someone gets old they often go to live in a home with other old people where there are nurses to look after them. Sometimes the government has to pay for this care. Who do you think should pay for this care, the government or the family? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

It can be seen in Britain, that as people reach the senior citizen age, they leave their home and move to a designated old age home consisting of nurses to take care of them. Many times, these old-age homes are commercialized solely by the government. In this essay, I will discuss why I agree with the government paying for these places because it is responsible to take care of its citizens and also mention how the family can give their contribution.

Nowadays, there are some old people whose children do not take proper care of them because they are busy with their own family commitments. Such people prefer living in old-age homes because they feel important there and are given the attention they need. The nurses there pay attention to their medical needs and there are entertainment programs scheduled too, which help the senior citizens enjoy their retirement life. In order to provide these facilities, the money should be spent by the Britain government because it is undoubtedly their duty to ensure the country’s older population is safe and healthy. There should be a set budget in order to construct sufficient old-age homes, all equipped with adequate number of nurses and basic facilities.

However, the family members can definitely contribute to the betterment of services provided at the old-age centres. For instance, if people visit their parents monthly, they can arrange for some small donations which are helpful. The basic commercialization of the place, the salary of the medical practitioners and the utilities of the place can be taken care by the government. But, the additional expenses such as the living costs, provision of entertainment facilities like TVs, gardens, etc., should be the family’s responsibility.

To conclude, in my opinion, both the government and the family of older people should invest in the old-age homes in Britain. The government is not solely responsible to take care of the people. It is a duty of the children as well, to ensure their parents live happily in such homes and provide them with what they need.