Letter: What we owe our old people
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Angela Lambert's article ('Killing them with kindness', 8 September) espouses and extends the current ageism debate with the idea that any money spent on supporting old people, whether it is their own, part of social services or even our potential inheritance, is wasteful. Whose money is it anyway? 'The money from the sale of his flat' - he worked to buy his flat. 'They (old people) are an unjustifiable drain on resources' - many old people started work at 14 and retired at 65; they and/or their spouse have contributed half a century of weekly payments to the State to invest to support their old age. How much has Angela Lambert contributed?
Many suffered 'career dislocation' by six years at war, and some have carried physical and emotional scars thereafter; others contributed boyfriends, husbands and brothers to two world wars.
Please spare us benevolent panels called 'Merciful Release' which will decide who lives or dies based on meaningless and naive questions. Do any of us fully know our own mind? Have we never felt life was not worth living? Will it become necessary for us all to seek a personal advocate when we reach the threshold? Life is an incurable disease, though pain is not incurable if appropriate facilities are not denied elderly patients.
We hope that Angela Lambert was being ironic to promote a rational debate regarding the care and support of an increasing segment of our society.
Yours faithfully,
MICHAEL LYE
Professor of Geriatric Medicine
SHAUN O'KEEFFE
Lecturer in Geriatric Medicine
University of Liverpool
Liverpool
9 September
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments