Your editorial (June 23) claims that under-funding of residential care facility owners is at the root of the horrific experiences in our aged care homes ('Falling standards not good enough').
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However I would suggest that our cultural acceptance that we can separate ourselves from people we love as they grow old and dependent is the deeper cause.
I too have been persuaded that it's ok to place loved ones in nursing homes but now deeply regret it. Moving a loved one to a job-lot of aging and dying people means that they not only lose their meaningful links with others but also become subject to aggression from demented inmates and exhausted and undertrained staff.
It has been shown that many people in nursing homes are not visited. This is because, despite the luxurious furnishings, they are mostly horrible to enter.
It makes the blood curdle to hear unheeded calls for help from private rooms or to see a circle of old people, strangers to each other, unloved and in a room filled with jangled TV sound.
It's true our aged care sector needs much more funding but it should be spent mainly on assisting us to care for our own loved ones in their own neighborhoods with round-the-clock assistance wherever appropriate.
We need to begin by developing our appreciation of people who are losing their faculties. They have much to teach us about the rhythms of life, and the experience of slowing down to care for each other can be deeply nourishing.
Jill Sutton, Watson
The problem with Folau
Bullying is generally defined as repeatedly demonstrating the intention to cause distress or to make someone feel less powerful or helpless.
Whether this is done physically, emotionally or verbally does not change the definition.
So when a person espouses their views, religious or otherwise, through negative statements such as "If you don't comply with my beliefs bad things will happen to you!".
Is it their intention to cause their audience to feel distressed through repeated negative messaging? So that the audience decides to change their belief system to align with the speaker in order to avoid feeling distressed?
If that is their intention then I believe that it's bullying and shouldn't be permitted under the pretext of free speech.
Dave McLachlan, Kambah
A cruel myth
Karen Hardy says, regarding her continuing periods: "I guess, in some way, if I'm feeling very optimistic, my body is telling me I am still a luscious, viable woman who still has a place in this world".
Despite some vaguely hopeful remarks about post-menopausal life, she's perpetuating a cruel myth.
It's a shame, because lots of women might believe her. I hope they don't fall for it.
Jane Craig, Holt
Standards of safety
Once again it seems that this ACT government will bow to pressure from some business's regarding putting another obstacle on our roads and footpaths to the horror of pedestrians and motorists (e-scooters).
Certain business's have been speculating and stocking e-scooters since 2017 on the chance that government will finally give in to their whinging and they can make a quick killing in sales.
If we look at our 2017 road and transport report we find that pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists account for 33 per cent of the total number of fatalities on Australian roads.
A trial in the CBD in Brisbane and Adelaide found several related accidents due to motorized e-scooters and there were only about 400 used over the trial period.
State and territory laws regarding these vehicles say, "It is illegal to ride an electric scooter on the road, footpath, bicycle track, or anywhere other than private property".
Under law, electric scooters are considered motor vehicles, with the relevant law explaining "operating a motor vehicle requires a driver's licence, registration and compulsory third party insurance".
Should the safety standards be met I would think that the government of the day should they allow their use on public roads and footpaths, but they should require the person hold a motorcycle licence, ensure the vehicle is registered and have a motor output of 200 watts or less and travel no faster than 15km/h and compulsory third party insurance is paid.
Errol Good, Macgregor
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