M_Jansen28: “I don’t think video calling and a robot are things that increase the quality of care. Quite the contrary! The most important thing for the elderly, whose partner has often already died and the children live too far away, is to speak to a real person, not a robot and not through a screen.” fairground also finds: “Isn’t loneliness the biggest problem for many elderly people? So are you going to take away the little contact with the outside world as well!? It is not for nothing that many retirees go abroad, at least there they are still treated as human beings.”
For many readers, these are signs that the Netherlands is slipping. Jmmjasp is still mild when he concludes: “You can read a civilization of a country from how that country treats the elderly and vulnerable in society. Conclusion: The Netherlands lacks respectful interaction with these groups, so it is no longer a civilized country and is sinking further and further away.” Others see a ‘crusade against the elderly’ in these new proposals, among other things. Pankey sums up: “It has been proven that D66 has started a crusade against aging. It started with the euthanasia law, then they claimed the right to your body with the donor law, the completed life law has now been temporarily blocked by Segers and now they want to limit the quality of life.”
Agnes_with also thinks: “Yes, the elderly again. I saw in a TV program that health care costs will become unaffordable in the coming years, because the elderly are treated longer and live longer. That is the thanks after a lifetime of contributing to society.”
Staff shortage
Johanvanderman1001 tries to find the nuance in the discussion: “The problem with these kinds of topics is that many immediately put their heels in the sand. If you look at it in a more nuanced way, it is a solution to the staff shortage that we simply have in healthcare. Of course it is again generalized as if all elderly people have problems with this, but you cannot know that at all. I would rather that technology allows them to keep an eye on more elderly people than be stubborn and leave more elderly people to their own devices because there is not enough staff. By putting your heels in the sand and being against everything, you can be sure that you will not solve anything. There is another solution: get more staff from abroad, but that is also not good…”
Jokkmokk Doesn’t see it all so gloomy and says cynically: „Fortunately, there is a bright spot on the horizon: these robots have to be programmed by a government linked agency, so before it works my great-great-grandchildren are very old. Until then, we’ll just keep messing around.”
Jeanny369 speaks of a degrading plan: “I wonder whether Minister Helder still feels the same way when she becomes in need of help herself and a robot comes to change her diaper and puts a spoonful of food in her mouth.” Blackpanter1966 finally, it goes a step further: “Let them also use robots for the ministers, perhaps the Netherlands will improve a bit.”