Frances Coppola on a sentimental justification for bad public policy

Frances Coppola took a look recently at the reality of family care for dependent elderly relatives in A lack of compassion Coppola Comment 02/23/2019, with special reference to Thatcherite conservative dogma in Britain:

The evidence from around the world, throughout history, is that extended families don't support elderly relatives or their carers. Both the cared-for and the carer end up impoverished. In some cases, the elderly person is abused, neglected or abandoned.

Nor does relying on families to care for relatives reinforce social and community bonds, as Fraser imagines. Both the cared-for and the carer often feel socially isolated. Depression is common among unpaid family carers. Young carers, of whom there are many, can also find it difficult to continue in education, with devastating consequences for their future. Wrecking state and professional care services by slamming the door shut on immigration can only make matters worse for families with caring responsibilities.

This is a good example of how sentimental-sounding political rhetoric about the "traditional family" can serve as promotion for negligent, even cruel, public policies.