Let's talk about the true cost of ageing

[ivanava]

I don't think I'd want my children giving up their careers to look after me full time.

 

By the time I need care they will be retired.

 

And at a £1000 a week they are going to need a good job to pay for it.

[Cyclone]

What if we actually made it law that people should be able to have a career break to look after their elderly relatives without impunity? Obviously it might be difficult in some cases, but a construct to make it valid could and perhaps should be found.

 

Who pays the mortgage whilst they aren't working for a 'few' years?

[tzijlstra]

Who pays the mortgage whilst they aren't working for a 'few' years?

 

The state pays a very reasonable percentage of their lost income instead of the pathetic 65£ a week it offers now and the alternative which costs the state 1000£ a week. This was discussed earlier in the thread so I didn't repeat it, apologies for not making that clear.

 

By paying a decent percentage the costs will come down for the state, so it makes sense. People wouldn't have to do it, but it should be a valid option.

 

I saw it myself when my mother in law was in her last year and my sister in law ended up spending 40-50 hours a week next to her full-time teaching job looking after her and her husband. She did it out of love, but it nearly sent her into hospital as well.