IELTS Band 7 Essay Samples: Should the government take care of the elderly?
These essays are written by our students and may contain grammar and spelling mistakes.
Task
In Britain when someone gets old, they often go to live in a home with other old people where there are nurses to look after them. Sometimes the government has to pay for this care.
Who do you think should pay for this care, the government or the family?
Student’s response
It is true that the cost of senior citizens care centres in the UK is subsidised by the government. In my opinion, the government is in fact required to pay for the basic needs of its elderly people for logical and humanitarian reasons.
It is pragmatic for the government to incur the cost of taking care of its old people. Firstly, this will result in a more productive population during their earlier age. People who don’t have to worry about their after-retirement expenses will be motivated to contribute to their workplace, despite not being able to save. Secondly, by taking care of elderly people, the government can ensure that these people are following a healthy lifestyle. As a result, less “Medicare” related expenses would be incurred by the government. Finally, providing basic needs for the population will relief stress. This will lead to a more harmonious and peaceful lifestyle, which is the essence of prosperous society.
Taking care of aging population is also required from a social justice perspective. The UN charter of human rights indicates that all people should be treated equally. On this basis, people should have access to basic needs as everyone else around them, regardless of their ability to do productive work. This is also fair because it serves as a reward for a life long loyalty to the country. Moreover, taking care of senior population indicates appreciation of the contribution by each individual to the nation as a whole – be it a social, economical or cultural contribution.
In conclusion, elderly people have the right to be looked after by their government on grounds of both logic and human rights.
