Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts

Pension to 68 in U.K.?


By keeping the oldies at work, we're creating a lost generation.


The UK state pension age increase to 68 will be brought forward to 2037.

Of course a lot of reasons are presented.
People live longer, not enough young people to earn it, etc etc.

Let's look at one of the two main reasons: people live longer.

This statistical statement is true, I assume.
People live longer. So they will need a pension longer. Pure logic.
Independent of health or quality of life, the pension is needed.

But does that also lead to the pseudo-logic conclusion that people can work longer?

In a way people tend to assume that living longer means living healthier.
We're told in many advertisements that old people walk faster, walk happier, and walk more supple than the generations before us.
So we think that health extends further in old age.
Can we draw the conclusion that in the near future a 68 year old person can be compared to a 57 one of the last generation before us?

Not often do I hear discussions, let alone research outcomes, link for instance dementia with the higher death age. More people get dementia... we know that. And people with dementia can get a lot older, we know that too.
So the increase of life expectancy is caused by stretching life. And that doesn't mean we add more years with better quality of life.

What needs to be asked is if the onset of age related problems also undergoes a shift.
Because only that would be a good reason to move the pension age forward.
In other words: are the people who stop at 68 under the new law as healthy and unhealthy as those who stopped at 57 in the last generation before us?

I haven't seen this question asked, and I certainly haven't seen it answered.

All I can do is look around me and see what's going on with people my age.
We still have to work 6 years (when we have a job).
Compared to when my father was moving towards retirement my 'group' is not as healthy as they were. Yes, we move more, and smoke less. but there are more people suffering from diabetes, heart problems, kidney problems and depression. The amount of people who can hardly cope with daily requirements is growing.

Less health leads to a lower production and lesser quality of production, so the costs of the products rise.
Less health also leads to more investments.
So making people work longer costs more.

In the eighties of last centurie people were aware of that, and the thought was that it was wise for older people to quit working early, so young people could have jobs, and start a proper career.
I'm in favor of that thought.

Now many young people are without a job. Their education is often outdated when they finally can get work, so they won't get the job after all. Add to this the lack of life-long jobs with the same firm, and lots of job changes, even within a year, and it might be clear that young people will be struggling their whole life to earn a proper living, with the consequence that building a good career is out of the question and caring for a family too.

By keeping the oldies at work, we're creating a lost generation.

42. Study ethics



I would love to have the opportunity to study ethics.

It has been of the main subject in my life.

When I was young, my uncles loved to discuss ethical matters like war, resistance. We sat for hours discussing things, while my gram gave us coffee, tea, lemonade and her home baked cookies.
Often she would sit with me later in the week, reviewing the discussion, giving advice.

At university I often found myself discussion matters with my fellow students and professors.

It was in a time that feminists were looking for opportunities to confront the male population with their needs. But they forgot that motherhood was one of the important aspects of being a female. So there were not many females at the department of obstetrics and gynecology taking part in discussions there.

In the meantime I was a psychologist and a mom. My second baby died, probably due to ignored rhesus antagonism.

The hospital was an old-fashioned catholic hospital, under the strong watching eye of the vatican.
The feminists were pushing their views on the male part of the population, wanted to be boss in their own belly. The Netherlands was one of the most free thinking nations of the world.
But the subject of spontaneous and provoked abortion was a dangerous one in the hospital. Often women were referred to other hospitals and it was in the interest of the hospital, not of the women.

One day I forgot that the professor of obstetrics didn't like opposition at all.
We were discussing the subject of referral when the professor joined in. Suddenly it was very quiet and I saw it as an opportunity to state my case. And when he told me he didn't agree with me, I just treated him as a fellow student, so I gave my statements, expecting him to go against it.
By that time I realized my mistake and I thought he would throw me out of the department, as he had done so often before with students and alumni he didn't like.
To our huge surprise he said 'Thank you, I will think about this', and went away.

The next day I was called for.
He asked me to become a member of the ethical commission of the department.
I refused, for several reasons. One of them was that I was a mom and wanted to be in control of family time.

Ethics has since had my attention even more, and it has led to the start of the movement of ethical journalism, which centers around ethical ways of publishing...and non-publishing.

I would love to be able to give my ethical views in a more professional setting.

.

The re-examination



The government has decided that more people with special needs should get a job.

So today my classic autistic son needed to be re-examined.
The meeting was a combination of the present need for re-examination and a regular re-examination because his evaluation isn't right.

A few years ago I went with him for his first evaluation. We were accompanied by a very handsome and friendly woman of a care-organisation.
We expected he would be considered to be unable to work.
But the doctor who evaluated his case didn't look into the files, didn't read the paperwork, but was delighted by us women, and he started flirting with us.
I could understand he was infatuated by the woman from the care-organisation. But I was a busy mom of 6, not looking very well. Still he flirted with me too.
We received his written letter stating my son was very able to work.

I was furious!
Filed a complained against that so called doctor, and told the woman who was assigned to his case that he wasn't able to work at all, but I didn't want to have another ridiculous examination by a doctor who couldn't find a proper job at a hospital or private practice.
We had a couple of talks, my son tried some daycare, and at last she wrote the conclusion that he wasn't able to work.
When he moved to another city she wrote a good report, the new case manager was pleasantly surprised by it and within 20 minutes of trying to talk with my son told me he agreed with the woman.

But when we got yet another case manager the whole problem started again.
She phoned me and the result was that she proposed a re-examination so his case could be closed.

The doctor was not really friendly, but he was correct.
He had a tick and especially when my son looked at him it intensified. I felt pity for the guy.
He started with a long story, the standard story for the present governmental re-examination, so I had to tell him my son needed a complete review, and why.
Then he started questions, got caught in the daily routine of my son and was amazed by what he heard. But on the other hand: the guy knew more about autism than the docs I've seen the past 10 years, so he was able to ask the proper questions, he got the answers, and soon he came to the obvious conclusion. I saw it in his eyes.
He asked some more.
And then told my son he was aware he was stressed, but that he needn't be stressed. he would keep his benefits ad he was convinced my son was not able to wok at all. he adviced my son to concentrate on tidying his room (which he can't) and gave us a friendly goodbye.

What a relief!!

While I went home I worried about the son of my friend.
Her son is also autistic and he had a re-examination too, but at a different office in another city.
Soon after I arrived home I heard he was told he was not fit to work either.

So good to close all these years of stress.

I know other stress will start next year, when their benefits will be just 70% of minimum wages.
Almost all these young people are in debt, because they lack the 30% income for a normal life in poverty. But the letters they received where full of threats, telling them that if they didn't work they would loose their benefits. It got so bad that I brought it under the attention of the minister and an official letter of the government was send to all the offices telling to stop the threats.
But the constant reminder that you're not good enough for society gives a low self-esteem and makes one feel a failure.
Tht stops now.
They'll get their bit of money to live and that's it.
No nagging social workers anymore.

Phew.

.

18. A medical emergency course

More than a first aid course
In the past I've assisted at accidents before the ambulance arrived.
I know I stay calm and  act medically appropriate, even when improvisation is needed.

After the terrorist attacks of last weeks civilians were of utmost importance in taking care of the victims before the ambulances arrived.

I live near a railway station, shopping center, and at walking distance of an important roundabout. At the other side of my house a couple of schools are situated.
So I'm available within minutes.

A simple first aid course doesn't seem to be enough anymore.
Gun wounds and stabbing injuries, shock and panic, need a different approach than taught in a first aid course.

I urged my son, who is a crisis journalist, to apply for a place at a medical emergency course especially created for journalists. He's often the first st the scene and he's got quite an ethical attitude, not to take photos of wounded people.So he can use his presence far better after the course.

I think a special course needs to be created to act well after terrorist attacks. It's important not to destroy evidence, but at the same time people need help, and maybe even adequate triage. To direct people who are able to help too and keep them calm requires a firm attitude. Etc etc.

I hope I'm able to motivate the new government to take action.
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