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Comment by CincinnatiMan | Hacker News Reader

What do other cultures do for people who can no longer take care of themselves?

Nomadic tribes would simply leave them behind.

Or the elderly would wander off on their own to die, after they perceived themselves to be a burden.

And need to consider that elderly being able to wander off is still good state today. They could very well survive with relatively affordable assisted living. But in some cases we are keeping people alive who can't even walk anymore.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senicide

Live in multi-generational family units where the family shares responsibility for (and benefits from) their own elders.

I wonder about the generational demographics of different cultures and how that impacts things. Many western cultures have fewer children to bear the burden of taking care of the elderly. The populations are shrinking for native born.

Also people tend to live lot longer and specially lot longer with limited capabilities. So there is more of those needing support and lot more support needed.

It'd be remiss to not note most of the time in culture where multi generational family units are the norm, responsibility lands on women in the home or household support in extended families and the economy doesn't often require two incomes to be middle class.

Indeed. The household has a full time employee/manager there so to speak.

This. But would also add 1) live in socialist countries that provide home care, or 2) or live in countries where there is extremely cheap labor due to endemic poverty (much of the third world), low rates of labor participation, or imported labor (HK/Singapore/Gulf states)

And these low wage workers just don’t have parents?

What socialist countries provide home care?

The system is a shambles everywhere.

You can do that in America. People don’t do it because they don’t want to. Would you enjoy living with your parents again?

Yes, I would.

You can have mine.

This is typically true for the elderly who can take care of themselves or require minimal help.

Once you need round the clock dementia care, it is more than extended family can provide — unless one or more adults take themselves out of the workforce for years.

They can have professional home care nurses/aides when needed. Sure, that costs money but the nursing home isn't free either.

Nursing homes are often paid by Medicaid. They typically won't pay for long term in home care.

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