Its funny how I love to spend my weekends nowadays. Gone were days that I had to be anywhere but home whenever the calender read saturdays or sundays. Given that we have a super long weekend this week, I could really make do with not going out at all!
Since my mum didn't have to go to her stall today, she wanted me to tag along, and visit her aunt in an elderly home in Thompson. Well, this aunt isn't exactly a close relative, and I have never seen her before. My mum was just commenting that there won't be much of a chance considering that the relative is already past 100. While at first sight she never did strike me as someone who's that old (she still looked alert and energetic for her age), mum told me after the visit that she was speaking rather incoherently for long periods as they conversed.
The home did look orderly and cozy, but the old folks who resided in it looked far from normal, sadly. There were old ladies constantly talking loudly to themselves (yes not amongst themselves), and even some coming to my mum and asking for directions.
The visit had me thinking, putting your old folks in an elderly home is really a no-no. As much as you have good facilities and safe hands to look after them, it appears to me as an act of irresponsibility, an easy way out by just paying someone else to do what you as a child should - to take care of your parents in their twilight years. What the old need is really the company from the family, and not random strangers in similiar plight. Even if my mum wasn't the aunt's daughter, I could see how happy she was to have a visitor to spend an hour with.
My mum shall stay in the comforts of home when she retires, at whatever expense that I will bear. Its only fair for the comforts she's given me thus far.
Since my mum didn't have to go to her stall today, she wanted me to tag along, and visit her aunt in an elderly home in Thompson. Well, this aunt isn't exactly a close relative, and I have never seen her before. My mum was just commenting that there won't be much of a chance considering that the relative is already past 100. While at first sight she never did strike me as someone who's that old (she still looked alert and energetic for her age), mum told me after the visit that she was speaking rather incoherently for long periods as they conversed.
The home did look orderly and cozy, but the old folks who resided in it looked far from normal, sadly. There were old ladies constantly talking loudly to themselves (yes not amongst themselves), and even some coming to my mum and asking for directions.
The visit had me thinking, putting your old folks in an elderly home is really a no-no. As much as you have good facilities and safe hands to look after them, it appears to me as an act of irresponsibility, an easy way out by just paying someone else to do what you as a child should - to take care of your parents in their twilight years. What the old need is really the company from the family, and not random strangers in similiar plight. Even if my mum wasn't the aunt's daughter, I could see how happy she was to have a visitor to spend an hour with.
My mum shall stay in the comforts of home when she retires, at whatever expense that I will bear. Its only fair for the comforts she's given me thus far.
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