U.K.: Alzheimer's - "If You Can Afford it, There Is Terrific Care Available, If You Can’t, God Knows....

KOLKATA (The Telegraph), February 4, 2008: THIS PETTY PACE Westminster Gleanings By Anabel Loyd After an educational week touring old age residential dementia units for my mother-in-law, who has Alzheimers and who may not be able to stay for much longer in an annexe to our house due to her need for professional nursing care, I had thought to write about the provisions for old age in this country. Simply put, if you can afford it, there is terrific care available, if you can’t, god knows. Most probably, some member of your family will be forced to take on full-time caring in order to avoid the necessary and impossible expense, even at the lowest level, of putting an elderly relation into a far from happy institution. The amount of recognition their caring receives from the State will depend entirely on the area they live in. My mother-in-law currently has a number of carers in rotation that she is able to pay for herself. I am certain that care within a family is the best thing for old people, while it is possible, but if I had to be the carer full-time, murder would undoubtedly be committed. The people who manage to care with the minimal help available from the State must be saints, and if I were to continue with this argument, I could not help but advocate some form of euthanasia, although in reality more for those in severe physical distress than for those who have no idea what is going on around them and may, for all I know, be quite happy, however destructive their possible contentment to those who care for them. Extracts from OPINIONS Column Copyright © 2008 The Telegraph, KOLKATA.