German and Norwegian Elderly Care

German and Norwegian Elderly Care

Key words

care users, care workers, formal and family care provision, access to health care, barriers to health care, uninsured elderly, retirement homes

Our elderly should be afforded the best possible care. This care should not only be financial but mentally and emotionally as well. They may not be able to care for themselves, but they have paid their dues, and took care of us now it's our turn to take care of them. We were born into this world defenseless and helpless. We had not a worry in the world nor any care or concern. Our parents or caregivers in most cases took care of us to the best of their abilities and set us up to allow us to become the productive and successful people that we have become today.

Introduction

In research on welfare regimes, particularly in those related to care, Germany is often cited as a typical representative of a conservative and family-oriented welfare state (Esping-Andersen 1999, Bettio & Plantenga 2004, Burau et al. 2007). The family-orientation of long term care provision remained dominant, the introduction of long-term care insurance (LTCI) embedded the traditional structure in a newly defined interplay of state, market and welfare associations with regard to care provision, funding and organization. The responsibility for providing care to Germany’s elderly population used to mainly fall on the family, based on the principle of subsidiarity. The Norwegian health care system have provided a range of prevention, primary care management of chronic diseases, geriatric care, and more formal long-term care to a prodigious extent to its elderly, and are constantly improving their program. Norway spends more per capita on caring for its elderly than any ...

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...e way to help combat this situation is to get daily exercise and frequent checkups. A recent study by Savikko et al. (2010) confirms that group activities like art and inspiring activities, group exercise, and discussions or therapeutic writing and group therapy led to reduced loneliness among older people 75 years and older.

Conclusion

Our elderly should be afforded the best possible care. This care should not only be financial but mentally and emotionally as well. They may not be able to care for themselves, but they have paid their dues, and took care of us now it's our turn to take care of them. As our elderly parents or caregivers enter their twilight years we should honor them by making their final years enjoyable and as comfortable as possible. They paved the way for us to be the adults that we are and in most cases led to the success that we have had.