I don’t think the state can actually afford to provide care for all the elderly folks that want it. It was an observation that hospital care isn’t means tested and no one is demanding that you pay for it if you have means.
But we don’t apply the same rules to other forms of care.
Nor do we apply it to education, up to third level. Obviously that’s good for society.
I am actually in two minds about the fairness of the fair deal. But we (the country ) don’t have unlimited resources here so we have to ration services and rationing it to those that can’t pay seems the only way. But I do think it should be altered and extended to allow care in their own homes. Or perhaps in someone else’s home.
We were told that if mum or dad moved into my home we’d have to start the application for home help care again, which is daft, they’d have the same needs. Albeit in a different address.
Now that might not be accurate. I haven’t looked into it as it’s not happening.