Even though my aunt had misplaced both of her hearing aids, which meant she could not really hear me, I thought it was important to just sit beside her and chat with her like usual. She looked at me intently and appeared as though she understood everything, but I could tell she really didn’t. My sister Jean lives near the nursing home where my aunt lives and visits her daily and carries on this charade. I admire her for her faithfulness.
Back in July, Jean told me a lot about what she knew on the subject of elderly people. She seems quite informed about it all. Rightly so, as she has taken care of her husband’s mom and now our aunt. Jean told me that the oldest person she knew of in the world lived in Los Angeles and died at the age of 115.
Centenarians used to be non-existent, but not anymore!
The number is increasing significantly, and more and more individuals have to look after their parents in their old age.
The trend in Turkey used to be that grandparents, parents and children all lived under one roof. In recent decades, this has been changing. In some of the more posh neighborhoods in İstanbul you can even find a Huzurevi (rest home). This concept is a very new trend in Turkey.
In the West you’ll come across some baby boomers who are approaching retirement age and have great plans for the future. Many will tell you they want to live to be 100 or more! They are the ones who want to do the things they have dreamed of doing -- travel the world, skydive, whatever. These are the elderly, gray-haired tourists who visit Turkey to tour the Grand Bazaar, Topkapı Palace and Ephesus, traipsing around in jogging outfits and trainers. Turks find them endearing and marvel at their enthusiasm.
Then there are those of us who are not keen to live so long. After all, longer lifespans are not an unalloyed blessing.
In this economic climate, how far will your pension go and your savings last? Whether you are in Turkey or somewhere like the United States, you may wonder just how you can afford to get ill or retire. Calculations for US health care costs have been based on shorter lifespans, and now we are living longer.
In Turkey, retirement programs have faced insolvency. Being very logical, the Turkish government has been gradually raising the retirement age; America also faces this same issue and has contemplated raising its retirement age for able-bodied workers.
As individuals live longer, we experience more significant social and financial costs.
A couple of Turkish friends whose mother passed away at the beginning of the summer shared with me how in the final year or two of life her medical expenses in Turkey ran about the price of an apartment. They were fortunate in that they had real estate to sell to pay the medical bills.
My aunt Syble’s medical expenses since she moved into the nursing home three years ago have now exceeded the cost of her home and have nearly run down her savings.
Similar to elderly people in the West, Turks who are retired usually live on fixed incomes. Maybe you have noticed the long queues outside the state banks at certain times of the month? Utilities have increased considerably, in excess of inflation, and use up much of a pensioner’s budget. According to an AARP Bulletin from last winter, I read that as heating prices rise in the US, the burden of heating costs will be disproportionately heavy on elderly Americans.
In the building where I live, there are a number of elderly people. Their children are grown and live in their own homes elsewhere. One elderly woman said to me that even though her children do not live with her, they help her financially. She admits that without their help she would not be able to make ends meet. “I’d freeze,” says one elderly neighbor. Similar comments are said back home.
Sadly, when the cold winds blow this year, they will bring an extra chill to millions of elderly individuals.
Note: Charlotte McPherson is the author of “Culture Smart: Turkey, 2005.” Please keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help to you, Today’s Zaman’s readers. Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com
