b.Interview.
ProfessorErnestTaylorisasociologistandtheauthorofanumberofbooks. HewasinterviewedrecentlyonCBCradiobyNormanBlunt.
NowProfessor, inyourlatestbookGrannyDoesn'tLiveHereAnyMore, yousuggestthatGrannyisaproblem, andsheisgoingtobecomeevenmoreofaprobleminthefuture. AmIcorrect?
Yes, infactit'snotonlyGrannywhoisaproblem, it'sGrandfather, too, andoldpeopleingeneral.
Now, isthisapeculiarlyBritishphenomenon? Itseemsverysadthatparentsshouldgivesomuchoftheirlivestobringinguptheirchildrenandthen, whentheybecomeold, beregardedasaproblem.
OurresearchwasmainlycarriedoutinBritain. Inmanycountriesitisstillregardedasquitenaturalthatawidowedmothershouldgotolivewithoneofhermarriedchildren, butinBritain, certainlyduringthelastthirtyorfortyyears, therehasbeenconsiderableresistancetothisidea.
Nowwhydoyouthinkthisis? SurelyhavingaGrannyabouttheplacetotakecareoftheyoungerchildren,andgiveahandwiththehousework, cantakealotofpressureoffayoungwife, can'tit?
Yes, Ithinkthisistrue. Butremembertheoldpeoplethemselvesareoftentotallyopposedtotheideaofgoingtolivewiththeyoungfamily. Andmodernhousesandflatsareverysmall, muchsmallerthanthesortofhomespeopleusedtolivein.
AndwhenGrannygetsveryold, thenthesituationbecomesevenworse, doesn'tit?
Yes, aslongasoldpeopleareabletolookafterthemselves, thesystemworksquitewell. Butassoonastheyneedanythinginthewayofcareandattention, thesituationbecomesverydifficultindeed.
Well, presumablyapointcomeswhenoldpeoplehavetogointoanursinghomeorsomethingsimilar.
Yes, butit'snotassimpleasthat. Becauseofimprovementsinmedicalscience, lifeexpectancyisincreasingallthetime. Thebirthratehasfallen. Thismeansthataneversmallerworkingpopulationishavingtoprovideforaneverlargernumberofoldpeople, inneedofcareandattention.
Thenumberofplacesinoldpeople'shomesprovidedbytheStateisstrictlylimited. Thereareprivatenursinghomes, butthecostiswayoutofreachoftheaveragefamily.
Andhowdoyouseethesituationdevelopinginthefuture?
Well, obviouslyalotofmoneyisgoingtohavetobespent. Butit'sdifficultpersuadingpeopletodothis. Therearen'tmanyvotesforpoliticiansinprovidingnursinghomesforelderly.
Youdon'tseeareversalofthistrend, withGrannygoingbacktolivewiththefamily.
Ithinkthisismostunlikely.