SThings will get better. When I was born in 1933, my average life expectancy was about 65 years. If I were born today, I would be 84 and a half years old. I am currently 91 years old and have only four and a half years left to live. My mother was weakened by years of leukemia and subsequently died at the age of 57 from an untreatable condition. I have already outlived her by 34 years. My father passed away at the age of 87 after 30 years of retirement, devoted to gin and golf.
But the latest research shows that things may be getting worse for generations after me. Life expectancy for baby boomers and people in their 50s is still increasing, but they are living longer and in worse health than previous generations.
Baby boomers always dominate the headlines, perhaps because they arrived in a post-war era of hope. But for my parents’ generation, things were even tougher. And you will only survive into old age if you have a strong constitution or have inherited genes that will get you through. There was no National Health Service. Each lost a younger sibling to illness when they were children. Doctors charged fees for consultations, and social services as we know them today were completely non-existent. They both left school at the age of 13 and started working immediately. He had a modest management position at a small engineering company, and she worked for the same company as a tracer (copy of engineering plans). They both grew up in Coronation Street-style terraced houses with no bathrooms, only outside toilets, so their greatest hopes were clean hands, regular wages and two weeks’ holiday a year. It was a job that was given to me. Their hopes came true.
For my parents’ generation, the health and social care we receive today was the utopian vision of political radicals and religious idealists, far beyond their imaginations. You could see it. Post-war optimism and Labor’s victory at the polls in 1945 produced a surprisingly benign and tolerant social state. It brought about the revolution that many expected. That’s exactly what happened! that’s right! And yet, still… I’m starting to see the downside now. Knowing that the state exists to provide medical and social assistance, all of which is provided for free, if you know how that system works, but what I knew It creates a different kind of world. Isn’t it a world where being considered aid leads to dependence and entitlement (and here’s why)? ). For many people, the assumption is that they will be healthy and live long lives. If the NHS can cover us when things go wrong, why not?
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gained a different perspective on so-called “quality of life.” I’m lucky. Quality of life for me means being able to go to the opera. At 91 years old, I also understand the importance of small things like friendship, good digestion, and good eyesight. Some of these things I even have the power to maintain.
But there is a sad contradiction here. That’s the paradox of growing older. It has meant that I have seen many of my ideal wishes come true, including medical services, local government services, a wealth of volunteer services, and a network of resources easily accessible through GPs and local libraries. I will. However, we also saw widening health disparities.
The baby boomer generation, born in a post-war world filled with hope, is the generation that is running the world today. They still have a chance to exploit their potential. I believe that a world that cares for all its citizens, one day ensures that no one suffers from poverty, destitution, or emotional distress, and that seeks to reach out to those who are homeless and addicted. Although it is a long way off, I think it is starting to emerge. As people live longer, I see society dealing with the illnesses and stresses that people will inevitably face, such as weakened limbs, hair loss, difficulty walking, and hearing loss.
Resources must be directed towards the social welfare of the elderly. But while we’re at it, it’s worth celebrating how far we’ve come. I have traveled much of that path myself. And while my life is heading into the sunset, I want the lives of the next generation to look towards a new dawn.
Joan Bakewell is a broadcaster, author and Labor colleague. From 2008 to 2010, she acted as the government’s appointed ‘voice for older people’.
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