A Government ruling in a ageist society

“Ship em off”

Was basically what I heard from Tim Nicholls, The QLD Treasurer, tonight as I watched his dismissive response when pressed about the two Moreton Bay Aged Care facilities that have been marked for closure.

Do you know why?
They are on state-owned, beachfront property; and they are marked for development. Yeah.

Is anyone else’s blood boiling?

I am aware that I am a bit unusual (shhh) in that I have profound and deep roots to the senior members of my family, and I consider myself an advocate for the elderly. I had a very deep connection with my grandparents, who I considered not just the matriarch and patriarch who were due respect and courtesy, and deserved my time, but they were my mates. We enjoyed each other’s company, and had fun together. I miss them painfully, every single day.

From this comes an empirical understanding of the pivotal role the elders in our community; their wisdom, their insight, their experience, and their reason. I am ashamed and embarrassed as westerner to say that our society does not reflect this.

The first world thrives on and encourages busyness, so we’re all forgiven for casting aside the slower-moving members of society, such as the elderly and disabled, because “we don’t have time” (which is bullshit, let’s be real here).

We live in a ageist society; constantly condoning and driving messages of “anti-ageing” this and “youthful” that; Putting mindless teenagers on pedestals, and idolising lyrics like “Ooh baby, ooh baby” instead of learning from the older and wise. We’re not allowed to do what comes naturally, and just get older without being airbrushed, or surgically enhanced, or judged, or even worse (and most often the case) ignored.

We muzzle and invalidate the very people whom we should be listening to the most.
We are doing ourselves an injustice; because communities are strengthened with knowledge; and I don’t care how smart you are, and how many years of academia you have under your belt – life experience is the trump card every time, my friends. Your grandparents, your great uncle, the lady at the bus stop, old mate at the RSL, the people in nursing homes – they have the answers. You might be all connected, and know what’s going on now, but the real insights about life – it’s the older people of our society that have them. You can’t buy that kind of wisdom.

Mr Nicholls of the government I certainly did not vote for (hate to say I told you so, fellow Queenslanders), obviously has not had this epiphany, otherwise he wouldn’t have made himself look like even more of an insensitive phallus by blurting out the words “Plans have been made for several of them to be relocated to other facilities” (Add burdened, dull, tenor in voice to enhance how boring he considered the topic to be).

Right, so by “them”, you’re referring to “humans”, right? Humans who are not only of the most senior in society, and whose respect and care we should hold paramount in all our communities, but also the frailest? And you propose to just rip them out their HOMES, and shove them in another one, against their will? That’s the most fucking brilliantly compassionate and genius plan this soulless government has had to date.

How dare he speak of this with such drudgery, in defense of his office’s deliberate decision to upheave these poor people, disenfranchising them, upsetting them, and potentially un-doing a lot of the good work of the care staff in those facilities, without so much as a “sorry”. Hell, chuck in a token “with regret” or something, to make you seem a bit less heartless and stupid.

The people of the Moreton Bay community have every right to be mad with the government for this decision. And they are mad because the people who made the call obviously have no idea how this works, and exactly how complex caring for the aged is, otherwise they wouldn’t have done it.

If you'd like information on the opposal, see the Queensland Nurses Union.

I encourage every person to seek out a conversation with a senior person. Slow down the pace, work yourself up to a state of patience, show your interest, and listen. Listen for as long as you can and just soak up everything they have to say like a Life-class sponge. I promise you it will enlighten and enliven your soul.

I know you probably disagree. That’s because you’re young...and don't have time. :P

Continue the conversation on Facebook.