How Much Are the Elderly People Valued in Your Society?

Do you think elderly people are valued in your society or culture?

In the philippines, Elderly people are not just valued, they are also well loved by their love ones. Based on my experience with my grandmother, though it is really hard for us to take care of her because of her Alzheimers, we never give up on taking care of her until her last breath. Though there are some elderly that are now living in a hospice because their family turn their back on them. I beleive it is still not acceptable in the Philippines to just leave an elderly in a nursing home because it is in our culture that the younger ones are the one who will take care of the old ones.

                                                                                   By: Roxan Cortez
           
            I think elderly people are valued in our society and culture in the Philippines. They are living together in one home with his or her grandchildren. They can eat and drink whatever they want. They can live socially with the people around them. They can go out for dinner with their relatives and friends like for example eating at Max's restaurant . They can play B-I-N-G-O to spend their spare time with their co- elders .
            Elderly people are valued too much perhaps they are taking good care of their own family rather than placing them into a health care facility. Each and everyone contribute to the basic, physical and emotional needs of the elders. They are helping each other to give what is best to the elders. Even on the hardest part of life which is their illness and death, they give all the financial support to provide the quality service in the hospital and much worst in the funeral.

                                                                             BERNICE CRYSTEL BARE PORLET

In the country where I came from, I could say 100 percent that elderly are more valued. They never felt neglected. From the son until to their grandson, every word that they said had earn respect even it is right or wrong. Their words are so powerful and unwavering. Here in Canada I noticed that they have their own way of showing their care for elders. For instance, they are prepared to send the elders to a hospice instead of taking care of them. Which is very different in our culture? Sending their elders in a hospice does not mean that they do not love or respect them. It is because they are so busy or no one could look or take care of their elders at home.

                                                                               By: Alexander Tan Sison

One of the remarkable traits in our Filipino culture is the high value we give to our elders.I describe the composition of a typical Filipino family as an extended family meaning the grandparents, usually, and other nearest of kin are part of the family.  This resulted from the practice of the parentswho do not let go of their children even they are married.  These parents do not think their  responsibilities ended when children have families of their own.  I was raised in a family exactly like this.I have seen and witnessed how my parents dearly love my grandparents, and taught us to respect themin words, like using “po” and “opo” when talking to them, and in gestures, like kissing their hands.

                                                                                 By: Nimfa Rosario

In countries which belong to third world, especially with agricultural society were mostly enjoyed “strong family ties.” Each individual is highly integrated into the group from childhood up to adolescence. Chain of responsibility was the common practice in our community. Elderly gave support by their son or daughter which are in Middle Ages in all needs as food, financial especially medical. This traditional values transfer from generation to generation. Parents lived with children on the time of their retirement.
                                                                        By :   Daisy Alberto

Discuss this statement:

"After and before the Industrial Revolution, the family was composed of numerous relatives of different generations. Then the family was in continuous regeneration with many people living together- grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles, brothers and children. In the past, our women did not work, and the family was in constant change, where a different person would take care of the older (grandparent). With the arrival of progress, the woman began to work; now the family is small, the money is not sufficient, people live longer;and the older people will have become the "excess weight" for this modern family. In the family, nobody has time to stay with the older people. If they are along, they need to pay a care worker for this person, a stranger, becomes company, and is responsible for this older and abandoned person." 

      
There is a positive and negative side of the coming of progress. This kind of progress happens even in our country (Philippines). The positive side as I would see it is a newly weds or a couple who is just starting a family will become more responsible and independent as what it is suppost to be. Living together with a lot of relatives in one roof is a bit complicated for it is hard to decide when theres is a lot of people giving their opinion to an issue that suppost to be solve by a couple alone. Specially on how to raise their children. The only negative side of it is when people decide to send the elderly to a hospice or nursing home. It is not bad though, to pay a care worker for the elderly but the relative should also give time to supervise or check their situation from time to time.

                                                                          By: Roxan Cortez

 "There is nothing permanent and constant in this world except for change." A lot of changes occur from generation to generation, from past to present as we go along with progress of modern economy and people in the society. Family is bind together as one from grandparents to grandchildren. But then due to changes in the economy and modern life woman began to work because the money is insufficient for the whole family. Everybody in the family is working so nobody will look for them. They started to place the elders to the health care facility for no one has time to take good care of them. It is somehow an odd for the elders, they are spending their last time and breath with a care worker, a stranger who is not their own family but become their best company and now responsible for the elder and abandoned person.

                                                                               BERNICE CRYSTEL BARE PORLET


Through the years, changes are the only constant in this word. Progress is everywhere. There are changes that can make us a better world and some that make as worst. This changes starts within the family traditions and values. Extended families were bind through generations. Before women did not work she is stay home to take care of her family, but as the progress changes, the needs of the family were affected by these changes. Money is not enough to support the needs of the family, so the wife needs to work to help his husband. The elders who are living with their daughter or son were also affected because no one will take care of them. Nobody will stay home to take care of the older one. So they were sent to hospice or they going to let someone take care for the older and that they start to feel that they were abandoned



                                                                                By: Alexander Tan Sison

Due to rapid change and progress, in my generation, my husband and I are both working to have sufficient income to the growing needs of the family.  But it does not change the customary family ties, our elders are still part of our family.  Because our work keep us away from home and our kids, our elders play an important part in our children’s well being.  We do not treat elders as a burden to the family even to the point of taking good care of them when they already weakened by age.To us, it is our best chance to give back what they did for us.  Immigrants in this part of the world, elders  are being placed in home care facilities, not because they are excess weight to the family. But it is to ensure their safety in terms of health, since parents have to work to support the needs of the family.  But it does not end there, the family schedules a regular visit to elders so their love and care can still be felt by their elders.  In most cases, some elders who have difficulty staying for winter season, they go back home and they once more settle with families back home.  Even in times of difficulty, we never abandon our elders.

                                                                              By: Nimfa Rosario

During agricultural revolution people learned how to domesticate animals and improved farming of different type of plants. Family lived together in a community though progress is minimal. Later industrial generation discovered by progressive nation and learned to use machine to make production faster. Employment rapidly in demand; Female who have no education and not allowed to handle positions as of males have a constant change. At this period they’re hired for work, resulted to less time to care their old parents. Nobody has time to stay with the older people, and they need to hire other people to take care for them.

                                                                                By : Daisy Alberto