Essay 195 – Elderly people are no longer looked after by their families

GT Writing Task 2 / Essay Sample # 195

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Many elderly people are no longer looked after by their families but are put in care homes or nursing homes.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Model Answer:

In this fast-paced society, many senior citizens are sent to old-age homes because their families are unable or unwilling to take care of them. This essay will discuss the benefits and drawbacks the phenomenon brings.

Sending elderly people to the care home or nursing home is advantageous in some certain aspects. At the advanced age, people are likely to lose motor functions, and therefore carrying out day to day activities becomes an arduous task. In a care home, professional caregivers help them with daily activities. In addition to this, doctors and emergency services are always available in these care homes for elderly people. It is therefore better to send them to an elderly care home as compared to leaving elderly people home alone. On top of this, companionship is a decided advantage. They can spend their time happily with people their own age. So, they never feel alone, thus relieving stress and depression.

On the flip side, the phenomenon also confers a considerable disadvantage. Lack of emotional attachment is an obvious disadvantage. In simple words, when people are not able to see or spend time with persons who are emotionally close to them, there is a good chance that it can negatively impact on their physical and psychological health. Parents have an intensely emotional bonding with their children. So when in the elderly care house, they are unable to see their children, granddaughter or grandson, they will endure distress, which, in turn, will affect them detrimentally. Besides, the cost of taking care of old adults in nursing homes can be expensive due to professional services and fees.

To conclude, this trend brings both advantages and disadvantages. It, however, seems reasonable to assume that old people want to remain close to their family members, and thus family should decide what is best for them.