[quote=no_such_reality][quote=CA renter]
Personally, I’m in love with the way they manage things in some European countries, but that would be “socialism,” and we can’t have that here.[/quote]
I’m curious as to which, and from which time period? European elder care has been undergoing significant transformation, much like ours and much like their general economy.
At the moment, Greece is having a problem with people taking their elderly parents out of assisted living centers back home to basically get the pension payments into the house since the economy is so bad. The really bad part is that in general, the Greek family tradition of providing support, means elderly parents don’t go to home in the first place until it’s way over-due and beyond the providers means.
It’s a matter of our priorities being messed up. The sad fact is that when you look at all levels of government spending on a per capita basis, the USA spends on par with France, Netherlands, Belgium and about 10% more than Germany and UK. Sweden only spends 8% more than us per capita. And Norway, flush with nationalized oil money spends 20% more, but is the #2 spender, behind Qatar’s oil money.
We have European spending, we don’t have European services.[/quote]
Yes, unfortunately, their social care systems have been dealing with many of the same problems as ours: rising healthcare costs, an aging population, declining birth rates, weak economies, etc. My information and experience with family members there is dated, and I know that things have become more “Americanized” over the years, but the citizens in Europe definitely seem to get more for their money, and I’ve not personally heard of anyone who was bankrupted because of medical problems. This is mostly regarding Austria, but also Germany, and it’s based on people who were in their pension/nursing home systems a couple of decades ago (many changes since then).
As you point out, we are paying more and getting far less out of our own system. I think there is a better way, though no system is perfect.
