In Britain, when someone gets old they often go to live in a home with other old people where there are nurses to look after them. Sometimes the government has to pay for this care. Who do you think should pay for this care, the government or the family? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Population ageing is a pressing issue for many developed countries. One of the challenges is how to take care of the elderly. In some countries, a nursing home,

instead

of a family, takes on the role but who should pay the bill? Many

people

think it is the duty of family members to support their parents, if not personally

then

financially. Others think, like medicare and other welfare, it should be paid for by the

government

, which is by the taxpayers. I think the

government

should pay the bill because individuals cannot fund

such

a big business and even if they can it only widens the gap between the rich and the poor.

First

of all, nursing homes are expensive ,especially in China and insufficient funded nursing homes are a threat to the elderly rather than protection. In Beijing, the capital of China,

for example

, the monthly fee for one person in a decent nursing home is about as twice the monthly rent for one person, which is a huge burden to both the elderly and their children.

Nevertheless

, the high price still cannot cover the bill for infrastructure and the necessary training for workers. Even the salary for nurses is relatively low compared to other occupations. Without proper training and a satisfying salary, the mistreatment and even abuse of the elderly are sadly prevalent. Evidently,

this

industry needs more money, more than its customers can afford, to grow in a healthy way.

Second

, letting individuals pay for nursing homes will only widen the already existing

wealth

gap between the rich and the poor. For rich

people

, the elderly have plentiful resources to help themselves to enjoy the rest of their lives. So that their offspring not only are exonerated from the burden of caring for the elderly but

also

can inherit the

wealth

from them. For poor

people

,

however

, the story is drastically different.

For instance

, if a middle-aged white-collar worker has to pay the nursing home for her parents, she cannot use that money to invest in herself or buy a house. The younger generation of the poor inherits not

wealth

but the financial debt of providing for the elderly, which decreases their possibilities to move up in the social class. Only the

government

, through taxing the rich and spending on the poor, can redistribute the

wealth

and help as many poor

people

as possible. In conclusion, I think the

government

should pay for the elderly care not only because individuals cannot fund

such

a big industry but

also

because it is the only way to take care of our elders in an equal way.