Which is why we who can are supposed to take care of our old and sick.
Of course, then you get into situations like mine: My dad lives near El Paso, my brother in Houston, my grandma who refuses to budge in north Louisiana, and one uncle in Fort Worth and one in North Carolina. And me, way up here in Utah.
But before I got here, I took care of my mom her last three years, and was with her when she died. And the Ft. Worth uncle keeps grandma under his wing as much as he lets her. And if anything happened to my dad, I would try to get him out here with me.
Shoot, even a lot of the younger folks who were left in New Orleans were there because they had old, sick relatives they couldn't take out and wouldn't desert.
This is the way it's supposed to work. Family first.
A lady I know who lived in Lakeview (and I don't know if she made it or not - I haven't seen her in 12 years) was possibly stuck in her house. And it did flood.
The relatives she took care of for so many years either couldn't get her to leave, or deserted her, I don't know which. I did see a note that some distant relatives asked people to go look for her, but I haven't heard more.
And that is sad.
Yes. How quickly that ages old "given" has just been lost. Well, not totally - but the default seems "shove 'em off somewhere, when the become a "burden."
90 yr old, blind and somewhat addled F-I-L lives with us. It ain't easy and often inconvenient. But, it helps me to remind my self that it is mere obedience to what I am called to be as a Christian.