Parent support

[Billybob]

We all think of child support and it makes sense of course. But what about the reversal?
Even in cases of a "poor raising" most of our parents (some exceptions of course) at least kept us alive when we couldn't do it ourselves.
Some take care of their parents but as we know many don't.
Thoughts for consideration;

Should their be some type of means testing for people putting their elders in a nursing home at taxpayers expense?
Should the adult children of parents with the means to care for their parents be charged for any benefits their parents receive due to being in poverty?(food stamps, medicaid, etc.)
What about emotional support? (a very important thing for many elders.) Is a 1hr. visit a month a sign of love and caring or just an act to ease ones conscience and show to others?
What about those families where one sibling is given the whole responsibility for the elder and expected to sacrifice while the other siblings do nothing?

I'd be interested in hearing opinions but please forgive me if I don't answer every opinion directly because it's been a long...

 

[Dave70968]

We discussed this in Elder Law last semester.

I'm not a fan of parental support laws. While I do think it's usually the right thing to do, codifying it into law is sticking a gun in my ribs and telling me to pay to maintain somebody else. Yes, we do require that parents support their kids, and I'm okay with that law, for one reason: the kid didn't ask to be brought into the world. When the parents made the decision to have a child, they committed to that responsibility; it's much different to say that the child committed to support the parents.

 

[inactive]

No to every question asked (I think I read 5 in there).

 

[Billybob]

We have no responsibility for our elders even from a moral if not legal perspective?

 

[JamesP82]

So the children should be fined for their parent's poor financial planning?

 

[Billybob]

So the children should be fined for their parent's poor financial planning?

We don't always control things as much as we'd like to think. Things happen and a major illness or accident can wipe out the best financial planning.

 

[Billybob]

We didn't use to have so many nursing homes because it was understood for the most part that family took care of family.
How about when parents sacrifice so the kids will have a better life and then when the kids have a better life they basically abandon their parents so that they can have their good life and give their own kids more than they had as children?

 

[Billybob]

We discussed this in Elder Law last semester.

I'm not a fan of parental support laws. While I do think it's usually the right thing to do, codifying it into law is sticking a gun in my ribs and telling me to pay to maintain somebody else. Yes, we do require that parents support their kids, and I'm okay with that law, for one reason: the kid didn't ask to be brought into the world. When the parents made the decision to have a child, they committed to that responsibility; it's much different to say that the child committed to support the parents.

We're forced to pay for other people every day. Are children worth more than elders?

 

[ignerntbend]

Are children worth more than elders?

I'm afraid they are Billybob, and most people would agree. I've had my life. A five year old's life is worth more than mine.
We may not want to say it out loud, but everybody knows that's how it is.

 

[Billybob]

So the children should be fined for their parent's poor financial planning?

It should also be noted that an Administrative Law had to be made to stop people from liquidating the elders assets and then putting in a home at taxpayers expense.