UK 'too selfish to look after elderly and should follow Jewish, Muslim or Hindu example'

Justice Minister Philip Lee is a Gp and said that
families expect the state to look after elderly relatives.
At a fringe event on loneliness at the week’s
Conservative conference organised by Age UK, Mr Lee
said that society has become too selfish and it could
learn from Muslim and Hindu communities.
He added: “When I used to do GP visits, I would go
into residential nursing homes and I would rarely meet
a Jew, a Muslim or a Hindu.
"It’s uncomfortable for me. But in those communities,
it’s a responsibility that they look after their own; that
they care for each other at different stages of our
lives.
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“And we don’t do that. We are outsourcing the care of
our parents. Why have we gone down that path – is it
because we have become a bit selfish?”
Last week it was revealed the vast majority of
councils will face huge shortages in the number of
care home places by 2022.
Mr Lee also fears that Brexit could worsen the social
care crisis.
He said: “We are relying on migration – the irony is
that the old voted for Brexit.
“Who is going to look after you when you are old? It
isn’t anyone from your local neighbourhood.”
The minister also criticised people expecting the state
to look after the elderly by people who are only “paid
to care”.
He continued: “I want to be cared for and looked after
by people who know me and I know them.
“I don’t want to see a stranger knocking on the door
with a meal. I want to see somebody that I know – a
friend, somebody in my family.
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"I think care is much better delivered by people who
truly care, not people who are paid to care.”
Dr Lee said it is up to families to look after the elderly
rather than expecting the state to step in.
His words may boost calls for family carers to be
given tax breaks or for new laws to let people take
more time off to look after their relatives.
He said: “This is not going to be solved by taxing and
spending more."
The Dr said people rely on paid strangers to look after
the elderly
"That is not where you get a solution. You get a
solution from people saying, ‘I had better go and see
Auntie Elsie.’”
“As Conservatives there is a huge scope for us to step
forward and say, actually it’s not about spending more
and higher taxation, it’s actually about saying to
people it’s your responsibility to spend half an hour a
week with that lonely old lady down the road.
“It’s your responsibility to knock on that door and say
‘is everything all right?’”
The minister said society has become “increasingly
atomised” and worries about young people obsessed
with social media.
Mr Lee is worried about young people's obsession with
social media
He concluded: “We haven’t really thought through the
impact of social media on society.
“Why is it that we ban cocaine but not mobile phones?
We need to take the problem seriously.
“In the past, if you were bullied at school you got a
hug from mum or dad. Now it follows you home on
social media. Clearly, there is an issue here and I think
we need to deal with it.
“Because our society is quite sick and no one really
wants to talk about it.”

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