Opinion Series Part 1: Are Children Responsible for Their Aging Parents?
Happy Wednesday Hivers!
In the Philippines, I have observed that many Filipinos do not adequately prepare for retirement. They fail to allocate money or build financial security for their old age. In reality, as people grow older, health problems naturally arise. However, one of the most common mistakes is not preparing for this stage of life while there is still time.
Most Filipinos are not financially prepared for retirement, and when they grow old and become ill, it is often their children who shoulder the hospital bills and medication expenses. This has become a common reality in many families.
Are children responsible for their aging parents? This is my opinion.
We Filipinos are mostly raised to help those in need. When someone needs assistance, we are taught to extend help without hesitation. That is why, in difficult situations, it is not easy for us to simply say, “You’re on your own.” Instead, we do what we can whether through financial support, moral encouragement, or even small acts of service. We generally do not neglect our family.
We are not used to placing our elderly parents in nursing homes. Aside from the fact that it can be expensive, we prefer to take care of them ourselves so we can see them every day and personally look after their needs.
In our case, our parents are already growing old. They can no longer tolerate stress the way they used to even a small amount of stress can affect their health. We have no plans of placing them in a home for the aged. As long as they are here in this world, we will be the ones to care for them.
I do not necessarily believe that children are strictly obligated to carry the full responsibility of supporting their parents, especially since children also have their own lives to build. However, for us, turning our backs on our parents is simply not an option. For our family, serving and caring for them is our way of expressing love and gratitude.
At the end of the day, taking care of our parents is not just a duty, it is an act of love. Seeing them happy and healthy, and being there for them in their old age, is the most meaningful way we can give back for everything they have done for us. No matter how small or simple our help may be, it comes from the heart.
Thank you for reading and see you on my next blog. Cheers!
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I think this is becoming more and more a global thing. I believe that yes, you are responsible for your parents and anyone who doesn't is not a great person. How can someone turn their backs on the people who raised them? I think my own parents have planned well but if they didn't I would do everything I could to look after them.
We're the same, we can't turn our back because of our love for them.
For me, as a Children we have a responsibility to care our own old parents because they sacrifice for us. they raised us to what we are now. They give education and good future. But I understand that case to case basis, other children have nothing to give because they are struggling on their own, but sometimes our parents don't need financially children they need love and physical care.
Yeah, I agree if chidren don't have money to provide for their aging parents, parents appreciate simple acts of service.
⋆ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ғᴏʀ sᴏᴜᴛʜᴇᴀsᴛ ᴀsɪᴀɴ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴏɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ
⋆ sᴜʙsᴄʀɪʙᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀsᴇᴀɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ
⋆ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀsᴇᴀɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ ᴠᴏᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴀɪʟ
⋆ ᴅᴇʟᴇɢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʟɪɴᴋs 25 ʜᴘ⇾50 ʜᴘ⇾100 ʜᴘ⇾500 ʜᴘ⇾1,000 ʜᴘ
Agree with you completely. Children should feel obligated to help their parents when they are in need, which includes helping them when they grow old and need help and support in whatever they need: care, financials and whatnot. In a perfect world, everybody takes care of their own finances, but we are not in such a perfect world.
In my country, we have (seemingly) solid systems set up since the 60s of last century to support elderly pensioned people with a state pension, with (almost) free healthcare (when pensioned people have low income, the state pays the healthcare insurance). But still we see elderly people needing support, financially, care and such. The state pension isn't always enough. Elderly homes become too expensive. Not all hospital bills are part of insurance. In my country, we have experienced a huge shift over the last 60 years, from a few elderly people and a whole bunch of young people to a huge number of elderly people and a much lower amount of younger people (paying the taxes needed for the state pension and free healthcare to the elderly). A system that isn't sustainable anymore due to demographic changes. A perfect system back in the days, became a system that is constantly under attack because the system became too expensive.
End result, children can't be selfish anymore, thinking their parents are taken care of and don't need (our) help. We shall take up our responsibilities and help our parents when they are in need. And as you mentioned, our parents done so much for us. When they need help, it is more or less obvious we children provide that for them, in whatever way we can.
True, pension is not enough especially for medicines. Medicines are too.expensive nowadays.