On this blog, I have spent some time in the past looking at how other countries implement senior care and then have tried to examine how we can mimic or improve those practices here in the U.S. The premise that I’ve worked from is that although we have a lot of great things going for us in the United States, we are not perfect. There are countries that are doing some things better than we are and that by trying to figure out how those better things can be used here, we can help the seniors that live closest to us.
Today, I wanted to do something a little bit different. Instead of seeing what we can do here to improve, I wanted to look at some problems that other countries have and propose a few ideas on what they can do to help take a step toward better serving their elderly population.
This is a pretty big task, and I don’t expect to solve the world’s problems here. However, if there are people outside of the U.S. reading this, hopefully they will come across a couple ideas that they can use in their own lives to help their elderly family members out.
For starters, looking at outside help can be a big improvement for many countries. Parts of the world do not utilize nursing homes and assisted living facilities the way that we do here in the U.S. Yes, nursing homes are overused in the U.S., but that doesn’t mean that they are without worth. Many countries like India and Japan have placed this burden on families, even when it’s not realistic for a family to learn the skills to care for the advanced needs of a loved one.
Another step forward may be decentralization. We look at a lot of countries that have socialized care and see that they are ranking better on international scales than the U.S. when it comes to care, but this might not always be the most helpful tract. Relying on privatized or decentralized services in addition to this care may help to improve the playing field by keeping taxes down and the quality of care on a continuous route upward.
Ultimately, there’s not a lot that can be done outside of our sphere of influence. For some, that sphere doesn’t extend beyond your family. Your responsibility is to find the best care that you can for those you love. Others have a slightly bigger sphere. Because of what we do here at Paradise In-Home Care, we touch the lives of many people on a daily basis. It’s our hope that each person, whether they are receiving care from us or are a family member of someone getting help, is better off than they would have been if they weren’t working with us. By implementing proven care strategies, we do our best to ensure that quality care given to each of our clients.
As always, please feel free to contact us with questions. We’d love to talk about how our service might benefit you and your family.
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