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**LeaderBiz** · 06-17-2012, 02:57 AM

Same is true in the US, but I debate what "necessity" means. From my experience it means working for material goods driven from "keeping up with the Joneses."

I was in the elder care industry, the healthcare and ALF/nursing home staffing side, for many years in the states. I can tell hundreds of stories of families who'd rather warehouse grandma for big bucks than be inconvenienced by taking care of her themselves in their home. But when grandma starts circling the drain the heirs come out of the woodwork wanting to understand how her expensive care is eating away at the estate.

That is almost non-existent in the DR. Out of necessity and lack of resources? Certainly a component. But one huge difference is cultural. In the states-and possibly Europe, I don't know for sure-the emphasis is on yout'; 60 is "old" and nobody cares anymore...unless there's something in it for them. We no longer revere our elders as a culture. They are impediments to our "it's all about me" driven lives.

Not so in the DR. It's still about family. To this day I get chocked up as the young 'uns stand in line for a chance to hug their grandparents at a family gathering, and how family members will sacrifice their time and meager resources to care for them no matter how difficult. Certainly some is a function of lack of a social safety net. But at the core it's a cultural paradigm of family dynamics.

In the states love of elders comes with nagging obligations. I see little of that in the DR. Love of elders here comes from respect of the family.

It's one of the top reasons I love the DR and it's culture...

I so do agree with what you say, I also believe that love of elders is in the DR culture, something we have lost in North America and Europe. We see through elders, people talk down to them and think them feable because they are old.
I have witnesses so many acts of kindness from young people towards elders and not only toward their familly members. In the complexe where I live a young security guard ran to help a couple of elder tourists off their chairs and back to their apartment and never once accepted a propina. He told me I love old people.

06-17-2012, 02:57 AM	#19
LeaderBiz Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 357 Senior Member	Same is true in the US, but I debate what "necessity" means. From my experience it means working for material goods driven from "keeping up with the Joneses." I was in the elder care industry, the healthcare and ALF/nursing home staffing side, for many years in the states. I can tell hundreds of stories of families who'd rather warehouse grandma for big bucks than be inconvenienced by taking care of her themselves in their home. But when grandma starts circling the drain the heirs come out of the woodwork wanting to understand how her expensive care is eating away at the estate. That is almost non-existent in the DR. Out of necessity and lack of resources? Certainly a component. But one huge difference is cultural. In the states-and possibly Europe, I don't know for sure-the emphasis is on yout'; 60 is "old" and nobody cares anymore...unless there's something in it for them. We no longer revere our elders as a culture. They are impediments to our "it's all about me" driven lives. Not so in the DR. It's still about family. To this day I get chocked up as the young 'uns stand in line for a chance to hug their grandparents at a family gathering, and how family members will sacrifice their time and meager resources to care for them no matter how difficult. Certainly some is a function of lack of a social safety net. But at the core it's a cultural paradigm of family dynamics. In the states love of elders comes with nagging obligations. I see little of that in the DR. Love of elders here comes from respect of the family. It's one of the top reasons I love the DR and it's culture... I so do agree with what you say, I also believe that love of elders is in the DR culture, something we have lost in North America and Europe. We see through elders, people talk down to them and think them feable because they are old. I have witnesses so many acts of kindness from young people towards elders and not only toward their familly members. In the complexe where I live a young security guard ran to help a couple of elder tourists off their chairs and back to their apartment and never once accepted a propina. He told me I love old people.
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