THANK goodness for Dr Donald Macaskill, chief executive of Scottish Care (“Old age should be valued”, The Herald, March 23), I'm glad that a respected academic has come out cheering for us. It makes a change from lacklustre politicians constantly bemoaning the fact that we pensioners are burdening society with living longer.
I'm looking after my disabled wife 168 hours a week and getting the princely sum of £34 a week on top of my pension for doing it. What a burden I am; my apologies for that. Should I be working 169 hours to ease the pressure further on services?
The only point that I've issue with is that he states "that we are all dying older and healthier". It’s the "healthier" part that I'm a bit confused with!
I'm sure St Peter will glad that we are all "healthier", and we will all be a lesser burden to him than we are to Scottish politicians.
Jack Minnock,
9 Wallace Place, Falkirk.
I WELCOME the contribution by Dr Donald Macaskill in your Grey Matters series.
I regularly assure family that I value my old age and hope that long it may continue.
I remain cheered by the quote by Bill Shankly (1913-1981) when manager of Liverpool FC that his aim was to be the fittest man that ever died.
R Russell Smith,
96 Milton Road, Kilbirnie.
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