I think having children shouldn't be seen as a "retirement plan" because there's no guarantee they'll be around or available in the future, even if you do. In my case, I do have children, but I also believe old age is something everyone should plan for with awareness and personal responsibility. Also, from my perspective as a child, my parents stayed in Cuba and I now live in Brazil. The only way I can help him is financially. Otherwise, I can't help. But I can tell you something: when I got married, my father, in a kind but harsh way, told me that from the moment I said "yes" to my wife at the altar, she and my children would be my family. When he was young, his father did the same with him. He "let him go" financially, and from then on, he was on his own in life. He helped a little, but nothing else. So he did the same with me. Maybe it sounds a little harsh, but it helped me get ahead and make a life on my own, as a married couple first, and now as a migrant. We live alone here, far away, and without family.

On the other hand, building a network of real friends, strengthening community (whether at church, work, or even with friends on forums), maintaining physical and mental health, and ensuring a degree of financial independence are things that help much more than simply waiting for someone to take care of you. Ultimately, we will all face old age with its challenges, and surrounding yourself with people you choose (not necessarily family) can be even more valuable.

And yes, if it's necessary to pay for assistance or care, so be it. But let this stage of life not be marked by fear, but by conscious decisions from now on.