Many elderly people are no longer looked after by their families but are put in care homes or nursing homes. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?

It is not uncommon to see some families leave their elderly relatives in care homes nowadays rather than take care of them at home. Although this switch has brought certain benefits, some problems concerning both nursing home residents and the government have resulted from it. Looking firstly at the positives, a crucial advantage of the old being put in nursing homes is that such places can provide them with a better care than family homes. Due to a hectic lifestyle and financial responsibilities, some family members have to work all day long, leaving the elderly alone at home. In such situations, the demands of these old people ranging from medicines to on-time food can be better managed by specially-trained staff in nursing homes for free. Not only this, but these homes can also offer social events and programs fostering peer engagement and support. It is rare for families provide such activities. However, this change in a family structure does bring some disadvantages, the most obvious of which is homesickness. Although nursing home residents are usually provided with most of the necessities and surrounded by like-minded peers, they still might miss their loved ones, home-cooked meals and atmosphere they have been used to for many years. Besides this, from a financial perspective, looking after an increasing number of old people in care homes might be a burden on the government’s budget. This is because these homes are usually funded by the government, which supply them with clothes, food and the staff’s salaries. In conclusion, despite the advantages of better free service and social life that care homes can offer the elderly, the drawbacks of feeling homesick and allocating much more funding should also be taken into account.