Our Children Will Grow Up: What Happens When A Vulnerable Population Becomes Even More Vulnerable?

At the end of our lives, we again become vulnerable. Charged to those with hands we hope are gentle, hearts we hope are warm. Family we wish…if all goes well. But what about our children?

So many times we are focused on the now, as we should be, as we need to be…with the future in sight, out of reach, yet yearned for, it’s what we’re working towards. We plan strategies for helping our children become the most independent, productive members of society they’re capable of being. We tend to do this with the thoughts of our children as children, under the umbrella of our protection.

Elderly Woman in Thailand by Ronn Ashore via Flickr

Consider though: when our children are vulnerable children, soon to be vulnerable adults, what happens when they become the vulnerable elderly? The vulnerable elderly special needs adult? That’s XXVulnerable….what then?

What happens when I can no longer protect my son? What happens when I’m the vulnerable elderly? When he’s the middle-aged special needs adult, looking for care, needing someone to plan for him to become the XXVulnerable Elderly Adult? What happens then?

I’ve had the opportunity to be in one of the better long term care facilities I’ve seen in my short 39 years. The view through my eyes is crisper, my sight seeing further, my consideration for care, the elderly, compassion, empathy, humanity and despair deeper. Facilities such as these are scarce. The availability of these or others operating even better are saved for those mostly of wealth. The majority of the long term care, retirement or whatever-you’d-like-to-name-them facilities drowning in filth and lacking of all the care and concern we hope someone holds us with when we age.

So now, my planning for our son’s future is accelerating. And I have to be honest. It scares me.

What are your thoughts?

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