Money not enough 2

Went to see this movie recently and i must admit, that it really points out to some problems encountered by the elderly.

I enjoyed the later part of the movie more, for the fact that it is highlighting a very close to heart topic. "Who should look after the elderly when they age?" This question is not the hardest to answer. It will always be the hardest when an elderly is ill. MEntally or physically. The ending also highlighted a common question. "Who to save, mother or daughter?"

In the movie, the old lady has 3 sons. The eldest being the poorest and most down to earth, was the one looking after the mother before she was ill. The 2nd and third son, have been successful in their careers, with the third living in a bungalow. Being the richer lot, the 2nd and 3rd could provide the cash when needed and so when the mother was diagnosed with diabetes, all sons have a discussion and concluded to have the mother sent to a private hospital for earlier caretaking.

The problem started when all 3 sons run into problems with their career and needed cash to tide them over. Each went to the mother for help and requesting the mother not to breathe a word to the other son.

Being the mother, she felt helpless as she was not able to help much for her son. She then went to 'beg' people for money and when others refused, she would pretend to be pitiful and cry, in view of gaining sympathy. In her attempt to do so, she was caught by the social welfare people and the sons had to bring her home from the police station.

All the sons said was, "ah ma, where can we put our face in future?" My heart breaks upon hearing it. Many a times, we accused others prior asking why. Im guilty of it and believe many others are too. Easy to say, hard to practise.

Then the sons started to think about taking turns to look after the mother who seems to be a little forgetful about things. She could ask the same questions again and again, or being get up at night to look for her lingerie, forgetting that she is actually wearing it.

Other than being forgetful, the old lady had bowel control problems. As time goes, the children were tired and some for convenience sake, left her sleeping in the toilet or near the toilet as she was deemed as an 'ugly' sight with her hanging clothes around the house and deemed not a good sight for visitors.

After much time, all sons decided to send her to a home. The lady could have better care and more company, they claimed. And so, on the occasion when she was sent to the home, she collapsed after suddenly realising she is left at a home and could only see her son running away.

She was then brought in to the private hospital. After days when she was still in a coma, the cost was piling up. Failure from their careers did no help either. The thought of her leaving earlier came to their mind as they could no longer bear the cost. They got a talisman which is supposedly to take their bedded mother's life away after burning it. With much courage, they managed to burn it but stop the burning halfway when the guilt sinks in.

Suddenly the bedded lady got into a critical condition and needed blood transfusion. She, having a rare blood type O-, had the last 2 bags of blood in the hospital.

Suddenly, one of the sons receive news that his daughter was involved in an accident. She needed blood transfusion too. As fate has it, she is of blood type O- as well and was in the same hospital as the old mother. Due to poor health, the son and daughter-in-law could not donate blood and the daughter-in-law rushed to snatch the last 2 bag of blood from the doctor saving the old mother.

In their struggle to decide who to save with the 2 bags of blood, the old lady heard the commotion and in her 'critical condition' manage to pull her oxygen support mask from her mouth and chose to die.

Forget the fact how it could be possible that an old lady can 'kill' herself, or what a coincidence it can be to have 2 cases requiring a rare blood type in a single hospital and decision is to be made on who to save, the movie pointed out questions for us to ponder.

1. Possible old age problems that requires large financial support
2. Who should take care of the elderly? In good health and when sick?
3. Should the richer contributes more?
4. Is old folk's home an alternative?
5. Who to save in emergency? The old elderly or the young sick?

There is definitely no correct answer in the above but points to remember and think about.