GT Writing Task 2 / Essay Sample # 291
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Some families think the best way to take care of their ageing parents is to care for them at home. Others believe that it is better for their parents to live in a special home for the elderly.
Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model Answer:
Caring for elderly parents is a conundrum many households face today. Some families opt to keep their parents, while others feel that a specialized home for ageing individuals is more suitable. I believe that while old-age homes can provide them with professional assistance and a secure feeling, in-home care is much better because it is inexpensive, and this way elderly can live with their loved ones.
On the one hand, when children decide to take care of their elderly parents at home, ageing people can stay in their own homes surrounded by their beloved and caring family and it does not incur a lot of expenses. They are not deprived of their social network, their routines, and their familiar surroundings. This, in turn, usually leads to feeling more secure and happier, which in fact is advantageous to both their physical and mental health. Besides, with in-home care, individuals can follow their own schedules. They do not need to maintain the regimented routine of eating, bathing or even sleeping. Having the freedom to decide on their own matter is a valuable facet of anyone’s adult life. This setting is less expensive as well.
On the other hand, specialized home for ageing people provides elderly adults with medical professionals around the clock. That is to say that individuals can get help whenever they need it. In fact, the staffs at these homes are well-trained and can carry out both non-medical and medical functions. Another benefit of these special homes is that they are more likely to be quite secure. For example, if a person has dementia and tends to wander, this can help ensure that he or she stays safe.
However, in my opinion, care for ageing parents at home is better. This is because in-home care is far less expensive than old-age homes. Besides, people can also tailor the number of hours that their ageing parents receive care. If they, for instance, simply require help with some domestic tasks and do not require extensive medical care, they may only need to pay for help a handful of hours a week. In addition to this, in-home care allows elderly people to receive the love and affection of their family members which is vital to have a good life in elderly age.
To conclude, while there are various advantages of living in an old age home, in-home care reaps more benefits to ageing parents as it is less expensive, more family-oriented, and comes without making radical changes to their everyday lives. Therefore, ageing parents should be kept at home if possible.
Many nowadays are of the opinion that children should take care of their old parents as the parent spent the majority of the time and money to raise their offsprings. I largely disagree with this statement, but with certain exceptions – mostly related to moral obligations.
Those who claim that children should look after their elderly parents often point out some important facts which support this opinion. To begin with, the fact that parents devoted their whole life to raising their children could be a convincing one. They sacrifice a lot in order to keep all their children well-dressed and fed. They devote their time to teaching children and spend countless sleepless nights looking after their babies. To repay their sacrifices, children should support them in their old age when they become helpless. Otherwise, they could fail at the mercy of others and would be looking for both financial and emotional charity.
Nevertheless, despite some valuable arguments listed above, some parents simply would not want to be a burden for their children or may wish to live independently, without constant supervision from their family members. Some of them might be in good physical and emotional conditions and wish to spend their time with their friends. Moreover, if the children constantly care for their parents, they could put themselves in terms of stagnation. This means they will suffer from the lack of the time and funds to pass through formal education or summer-vocational school in order to acquire useful skills and easy land to the high-quality job with the perspective to be promoted and collect money to purchase basic and luxury items. This might make the life of the young caregivers miserable and boring.
In conclusion, despite some moral justifications of so complex-issue, which oblige children to take responsibility for their old parents, in the majority of cases children should not take care of their elderly family members as it could lead to various catastrophic social consequences and could negatively affect both aged parents and their offspring.