Comparing Elder Care Between The West And The East

Abstract: As the aging population is increasing in the world very rapidly it is interesting to examine how different countries and cultures treat as well as take care of their vulnerable citizens. This essay will make an attempt to look at the differences in elder care between the west and the east. A test of people is how it behaves toward the old. It is easy to love children. Even tyrants and dictators make a point of being fond of children. However, the affection and care for the old, the incurable, the helpless are the true gold mines of a culture. ― Abraham Joshua Heschel It is the intention of this paper to compare how elders are being treated both socially and economically in the west as opposed to the eastern part of the world.†¦show more content†¦In eastern societies, traditional families tend to take care of their elders by giving them personal care at home. Eastern cultures like China still adhere to traditions lie filial piety, which gives family units their highest priority and values elders with the utmost respect. Today even that seems to be on a downward trend as China s rapid industrialization is driving young families to the cities to work while the older family members tend to stay back in rural areas. Jared Diamond, a well-known expert on aging and elder care in the United States notes the following: Cultural values that emphasize respect for the elderly contrast with the lower status of the elderly in the U.S. Older Americans are at a significant disadvantage in job applications. They also face tremendous disadvantages in hospitals. Our hospitals have an explicit policy called age-based allocation of healthcare resources . Even though developed countries like the United States have well-defined laws protecting their elderly. It is also common knowledge that senior citizens are in fact mistreated financially and socially. Assisted living facilities are an expensive affair and in many cases the elderly are confined to institutions that match with their financial situations which in turn leads to inconsistent forms of care. A recent study COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ELDER CARE BETWEEN THE EAST AND THE WEST 3 published by MetLife Mature Market Institute estimates