Impoverished & Overcome with Illness, Who Can Help Us?

From the tragedies of long-term care that was on yesterday’s news, from the Front Page Sections, translated…

The affinities of siblings were, written in the stars, but, the risks are, too heavy.

My second eldest sister is almost seventy, her husband died early, and her only daughter married to Japan, she’s an elderly who lives alone. Normally, we’d, interacted very often, we are, very close to one another. My second eldest had been diagnosed with depression before, with the physical health issues of high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, needed to have the scheduled visits to the hospitals, to pick up her medications regularly. In recent years, she’d had herniated discs that she couldn’t even walk because of the pain, she’d cried in silence. And so, in looking after her physically, caring for her emotionally, the two of us, brother and sister-in-law took over.

Last year, my second eldest sister had corrective spinal surgery. Before the surgery there was a physical, I’d taken her along, to the various departments of the hospital; during her hospitalization, my wife became her nurse, accompanied and took care of her around the clock. As she was discharged from the hospital, my wife and I worked as her nurse’s aide, and butler, my wife gave her baths, cooked her meals, and did her laundry.

On New Year’s, my second eldest sister’s daughter came back to Taiwan to visit, and she’d, given us a huge red envelope, we’d not taken it, she’d told us, it was for us, caring for her mother, that hiring someone else costs money too, and, having us taking care of her, it’d made her, feel more at ease. I’d found, that the money can help balance between reality and the families. But, we are, growing older by the day, and, if one day we could no longer care for her, then, she would, rely on the care provided for by the money solely, but, what if, the money, ran out?

The long-term care programs in Taiwan is still under development, and, the “risks of the siblings” are pressing, who will, care for those at the bottom of the socioeconomic statuses, those who are, living in poverty, with the illnesses?

And so, this shows the importance, of needing, a well-developed, well-thought out, elderly care program, because if you have the money, then, at least, you’ll be, able to, hire someone, to look after you when you’re old and ill, but, if you don’t, then, you’re basically, forgotten by the rest of the society, and that’s, just, too sad.