評註直接用藍色字標出。

source from: http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/2008/03/03/145343/Elderly-couples.htm  (Mar. 4,  2008)


BIRMINGHAM -- Elderly couples will be able to stay together and not be split up when one partner goes into care, Health Secretary Alan Johnson said on Sunday.

 

"When a couple have lived all their lives together they should not be forced apart near the end of their lives," Johnson told Labour activists at their spring conference in Birmingham.

 

"This week (Care Services Minister) Ivan Lewis and I will be setting out plans to enable elderly couples to remain together when one of them has to go in to care.

 

從這裡可以看出,此篇報導,或者說Gordon Brown的政策取向,在其照顧系統仍在起步階段的實情下(常被視為反對中國傳統家庭價值觀。從政策推動與全民共享的角度,我的確是。因為這樣的家庭價值觀在目前雙薪家庭為主的社會,可說是缺乏時代精神,必須要改變,以免兩性的壓力過大),意在將傳統保守的家庭價值觀重新導入。事實上,如果老伴生病待在家裡,那麼照顧的角色很明顯地就落在另一伴,或者是不需工作的家人身上。這樣的政策,其實忽略了另一伴的體力與身體狀況,因為另一伴不見得有專業的照顧知識,有可能因此而體力負荷不了、受傷(例如,手、腳腕關節受傷、背部拉傷等,這些傷害大部分是來自於沒有照顧知識)、或更嚴重,也生病(如果是真的愛對方,我想,一定也不希望另一伴為了自己而這樣)。

 

此外,如果這種政策用在我們的國家,無疑地,一定也會加重其他家庭成員的負擔。我們的傳統已經告訴我們:「久病無孝子」。如果走到那樣的情景,對於兩代之前的親情是何其難堪?經濟許可而請的起外勞的家庭,是不是可能忽略了發生在我們自己身上的情形,有可能也會發生在外勞身上?外勞也是人,是吧?

 

另外,有人也會抗議,外勞都搶去我們的工作機會,為什麼不先保障本國勞工?這個部份,牽涉到工資問題。

 

另一方面,我們也不能忽略:老人家如果生病了,會比平時更需要家人的關愛這個事實。如果他/她可以留在家裏,那肯定是最好的。

 

這些困境,如何較妥善地解決?

 

在北歐的經驗是,斟酌病情輕重而定是否留在家裏(當然也依病人的意願)。針對留在家裏的老人,北歐政府提供「居家照顧系統」的服務。一來,此「居家照顧系統」創造了就業機會,二來,圓滿部份老人希望留在家裏的心願,三來,受雇的照顧人員,都是受過訓練的照顧員。

 

"This will be part of our increasing focus on adult social care."

就目前全球老年人口增加的比例,如果不及早發展社會照顧,可能屆時會衍生許多問題,而在手忙腳亂的情況下,只能頭痛醫頭、腳痛醫腳。

 

Charity Help the Aged welcomed the move, saying that too often couples were separated for reasons of administrative and financial convenience.

 

"If one member of a couple has got complex dementia it is quite costly to keep them together," a spokeswoman said.

 

She said care services needed to be more flexible and creative in treating the elderly, with more care delivered at their homes.

 

這點,北歐國家早已實施。對於決定留在家裏的老人,居家照顧系統依據老人的需求提供各種不同程度的服務,例如,送餐、代為購物、居家清潔、陪伴等。至於醫療方面,則視病情而定,如果可自行就醫,則提供補助固定時數的計程車車資,讓老人可自行就醫。

 

Johnson also urged family doctors to agree to open their surgeries outside office hours.

 

He is locked in a dispute with GPs over the proposals, which would require surgeries to open an extra three hours a week either at weekends or in the evening.

 

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged that half of all surgeries will open longer in 2009 but doctors say there is no evidence that extra opening hours will improve patients' health.

 

The government is threatening to take money away from GPs and give it to local health authorities unless they sign up to the plan this month.

 

這種威脅的方式實在很不當,容易造成人民與政府之間的敵對與不信賴感。看來,英國也很欠缺「民主組合的協商機制」,才會需要威脅醫生們。

 

"People should have more choice over when they are able to see their GP," Johnson said. "I hope that GPs will vote to provide extra appointments at weekends and evenings.

 

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最近幾篇報導,都已經過期了......真是不好意思,因為上星期事情有點多,只能先把新聞存起來。接下來也會蠻忙,可能還是會碰到類似的情況......在此先向讀者說聲抱歉。

 

 

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