I thought I would take this opportunity to say I mostly agree with Paul. First time for everything. Too many older Australians are preserving their assets when they should be spending them on themselves in their old age.

The irony of that in the context of this discussion is that the beneficiaries will be the younger generation that Paul is advocating for and who are the greatest advocates for not forcing mum and dad to downsize and use assets for aged care etc. because they want to inherit.

Some financial institutions have offered reverse mortgages so that older Australians can draw on equity in their house without having to move out, but the take-up hasn't been huge. Nothing looks like it's going to change, except that the age of retirement will probably continue to increase (as it should).

" but in most cases aged people do not want to go into care - but are forced to."

I call bullsh!t. As in not true. As in a made up claim.

I can see that some people are forced by greedy relatives to move out of their home and into aged care when it isn't necessary. But that'd be a very small minority. And indeed, if they were forced to use the home to fund the aged care, the incentives for such relatives to do this would be removed.

Dear Mhaze,

I agree that those who go voluntarily to a nursing home should pay for it, in full - but only few go voluntarily without helplessly kicking and screaming. The majority are dragged and incarcerated in nursing homes against their will, and it makes practically no difference whether that is done by their own family, by social workers or by the police.

Elderly people should be allowed to stay in their home even if that means that they will die there. Better still they should be allowed to receive self-funded care at home, which government presently makes extremely difficult and available only for the richest.

You see, there are millions of potential devoted and compassionate carers in 3rd-world countries who will be more than happy to come over to Australia and care for an elderly person for the remainder of the elderly's life, to live in just one room in his/her house, to work hard, almost 24x7, only so they can send their salary back home to their families, then return there once their job is over. Other than working they would be doing little else in Australia, so other than seeing them doing the shopping for their client, their impact on Australia will be close to zero.

Elderly people with even modest savings or alternately with an appropriate insurance, should be able to afford their services, yet cruel government wouldn't allow them entry visas. That's the reason for the current aged-care crisis and the suffering of the elderly, who should like the rest of us pay for what they want and not be robbed for services they do not want.

The single, Caucasian male worker has paid more tax than any other group in Australia. Let's see how Gen Z will contribute !

Comrade Grahamski,

If you take things in a moderate progressive liberal way, you would find yourself agreeing with Comrade Paulski more often. Keep agreeing with me and I will expect to see you at the next meeting of the Politburo.

Have the granddaughter around for dinner tonight, 17 and she's got wheels, so upwardly mobile these days. She said; "Pop you're still posting on THAT forum thing I see!" Yep, a question girl; "Do you think you'll ever be a pensioner, one day?"...."I hope not, but if I am I expects I'll have to pay it to myself."...I said; "That might be the case girl".

She wants to know who is Comrade Grahamski,.... "The Commissar who runs this Forum"....she's shaking her head..."Pop haven't you got anything better to do?...Commissars, more like nut cases, why would he be agreeing with you". ha ha.

What a miserable clown Paul is. Probably funded much more highly by some public service pension than the poor oldies.

What he happily forgets is that those oldies getting a pittance today have funded the education & health care of those now expected to contribute a little to their old age. They also built the world the young enjoy today.

Also remember the money to pay pensions comes not much from taxes, 50% pay no net tax anyway, but from government charges on mining & agriculture.