patronising pensioners
I agree with your suggestion that help being mooted at the moment can be perceived as patronising. Though many people mean well, the idea of being adopted is fraught with potential problems.
For a start, if we, as pensioners, want to live with as much independence and dignity as possible, taking handouts, especially from others who probably can't afford it, is demeaning and embarrassing.
Furthermore, it will only be a matter of time before someone exploits the generosity of the givers, and the whole project will turn sour. This will also turn people against helping pensioners in general.
Some would-be adoptive donors may in their turn exploit the eldferly. The scheme will give them a way in to knowing the living space, the lifestyle, and the finances of pensioners.
My mother, for example, has money lying all over the place. In one room recently I turned up nearly $1,300. She cries poor with us, and we put her groceries on our credit cards; but she's O.K. really. She's exploiting us. But what if someone "adopts" her and offers to tidy up her cupboards? She didn't even know she had that money lying around, and it could easily have been stolen.
One area where I would advocate people parting with cash for pensioners is for their pets. It is heart-breaking when a pensioner has to surrender a much loved animal companion because he/she cannot afford to feed it.
Finally, I am concenred that if the "Adopt a Pensioner" initiative gets too much publicity and is too successful, the Government will sit back and let it happen, without doing what we most want them to do - make the pension a fair and reasonable amount to live on, and, for those of us who can still do some work, increase the amount we can earn before the Government stops our pension & causes much messing around every fortnight.
DELROY OBERG,
42 QUEENSTOWN AVENUE,
BOONDALL, 4034
I agree with much of the previous post.
And would add that, cynical though it is, It's a great publicity stunt for the TV channel which started it.