Some believe that younger family members should be legally responsible for supporting older family members when they become physically, mentally and financially unable to look after themselves. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

There have been recent proposals for laws that would require younger generations to look after older family members when they are no longer capable of doing so themselves. In my opinion, these laws are ethically responsible yet should not be enacted considering the many circumstances they fail to take into account. Supporters argue elderly

care

is a basic responsibility. As

parents

age, there is a

near absolute

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chance they will have some combination of physical, mental, or financial difficulties. Since most older people are unable to work full-time jobs, the duty of

care

naturally falls to either the state or their families. The government has other concerns and their

care

is impersonal, as in the case of a state-funded nursing home.

Children

, who have an obligation to their original

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caregivers

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care-givers

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caregivers

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, are in much better positions to provide loving support.

This

could include living with them, supplying money, or helping them with medical bills.

However

,

this

discounts the many contexts in which

this

care

may not be appropriate. Many

parents

do not want to be a burden to their

children

and would rather look after themselves later in life. Others may not have been there for their

children

,

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or even been abusive.

Moreover

, the help that

children

offer will likely hinder their own progress in life. If they are wealthy,

this

is not a major concern as they can hire someone to look after their

parents

and the financial support will not be a burden.

However

, most

working class

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families will struggle to advance socially when slowed by a duty of

care

for elderly

parents

, especially if

this

includes expensive medical bills. In conclusion, despite the moral justifications, there are simply too many situations where these laws would result in injustices and inconveniences. Individuals should be given the opportunity to look after themselves.