As medical technology advances, the average age of our population is edging higher. Already aged care workers are underpaid and overworked, a problem that's going to get significantly worse moving forward. Governments don't seem to have a clear plan to address this.
My suggestion is to take all prison inmates who are deemed 'safe' (not a danger to patients), and put them to work in aged care facilities. Not only could this make effective use of idle resources, but it may well promote rehabilition for prisoners. The aged population may well be able to teach the prisoners some compassion, and to appreciate what they have.
I'm going to be in an aged care facility one day, and I'd rather it be adequately staffed, even if that meant my carers were a bit rough around the edges.
- Dec 22 2008 - Ok let me clarify some things from the responses so far.
If someone commits fraud and goes to jail, chances are they would be considered 'safe' for work in aged care. For some reason people immediately think murderers and such are going to be set loose on the elderly. There are plenty of people in prison for marginal crimes suitable for this kind of work.
I wouldn't want to force this on any elderly person, rather they should have a choice. I would personally go for a well staffed facility with inmates than one that is understaffed. Understaffed nursing homes can be some one of the worst places imaginable. Spare a thought for the silent suffering of those who don't get adequate care. In a perfect world a better solution would made available, but until that time, something is better than nothing. Should we give up because technology and structures are not in place to fully solve the problem?
Finally a big thumbs down to the comment about slave labor. These people are criminals, repaying a debt to society. Not much of a punishment if they get to sit around doing what they please.-- potato991, Dec 14 2008 Prison instills a special brand of evil subculture that you wouldn't want anywhere near your grandmother.-- Voice, Dec 14 2008 Inmates who are deemed 'safe' shouldn't be in prison anyway.-- erlehmann, Dec 14 2008 "What's that? Your fingers hurt?... Well now your back's going to hurt because you just got landscaping duty!"-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Dec 15 2008 Don't the elderly complain about getting their stuff stolen by nursing home employees enough already?
I guess maybe if they were ex cons, someone would take those complaints seriously, but I'd imagine this would really just put an end to aged care facilities for anyone above the poverty line.-- ye_river_xiv, Dec 15 2008 So how do you actually make them do the work that you assign them to do?-- Jscotty, Dec 15 2008 //Dumbest idea I've seen in a long while.//
I fear ideas like this, and others, maybe worse, may be reality as this problem worsens and the economy of long term care requires the government take an even larger role.
I can't give a Bun, I think the idea is horrid, but I don't have a better one.-- n81641, Dec 18 2008 The problem is not a lack of people. There is no shortage of people who would love to care for their own elderly parents and similar. The problem is that one man on an working class salary cannot comfortably support his parents, his wife and his children. That's what's got to change - salary differentiation needs to reduce so that the lowest paid are a lot closer to the highest paid; and the key cost of housing needs to be smashed down - there is no way that a family house should be costing more than 10% of an adult wage.-- vincevincevince, Dec 19 2008 I agree that //one man on a working class salary cannot comfortably support his parents//, but I don't think //salary differentiation needs to reduce so that the lowest paid are a lot closer to the highest paid// because this would result in everyone not being able to afford to //care for their own elderly parents//. I think the answer is in improved technology, not in redistribution.
And [-] to the idea for using slave labor.-- sninctown, Dec 19 2008 //There is no shortage of people who would love to care for their own elderly parents and similar.//
Do you mean caring for with $ or hands on meal preparation and bed pan changing?
There sure is a shortage of hands on caregivers here in my community. Many are doing it, and are miserable, and it's not a financial issue. Good caregivers are a very special breed.-- n81641, Dec 20 2008 random, halfbakery