Sr Citizen Care

JTE83

How many of you have old parents that can't take care of themself and you have to take care of them or maybe send them to a nursing home? My Dad has Alzheimer's and prostrate cancer, luckily my retired Mom has no health problems but she has to take care of my Dad. We'd be really into serious problems if my mom was a problem too. My Dad, he shits and pees in his diapers or in bed and that is such a nasty problem. We didn't look into nursing homes in America because we heard bad stories about them, and that they milk SR Citizen's money or try to get the house. Well, we're kinda lucky to have relatives in the Phillippines who wil take care of my Dad 24 hrs / 7 day a week for about $1200 a month!

My neighbor has had nightmares with their blind diabetic dad in a Sr Citizen house. They did not care for him well and didn't feed him well, - but he was overweight. They took him out but I don't know how they care for them now!

How's it going with your old parents? Are they in Sr Citizen Care / Housing / how is it how much it costs?

I worry about my old age because I got no one.

I heard US Sr Citizen houses cost $5000 a month. Is that true? That's robbery! Do they also try to take your house, SSI, and poperty?

kdelong

The average cost of a full care facility is around $160.00 a day, and the average stay is three years! If someone who cannot pay this price needs care, they can get in on Medicare, but their options are very limited concerning the care they recieve. If your father were to be admitted to a care facility under Medicare, your mother would still be able to hold onto the house and a percentage of their communal property, but they would pretty much liquidate your father's wholy owned possessions and his SSI. Probably the worst thing that could happen to your father under Medicare is that they would place him in what ever home in the state had an opening for a Medicare patient, even if it is across the state from where your mother lives. Then, if he was to go into the hospital, when he comes out, he might not be placed back in the same home that he was in. With Alzheimers it probably doesn't make much difference to him but it effect your mother.

For your care, I suggest that you contact your Insurance Agent and talk to him about Long Term Care Insurance. With all of the Baby Boomers getting closer to the age when they are going to need nursing home care, the availability of care is going to get tight and the prices are going to skyrocket. Very likely Medicare will not be available at all, or even more scaled back than it is now.

__________________
One life, one chance. Don't waste it!

JTE83

Thanks for your reply! I fear old age as I might get Prostrate Cancer like my dad or worse Alzheimer's too! Does this run in families?

I should look for a wife even if we won't have kids!

kdelong

Yeah, there is a genetic disposition to Alzheimers and also most cancers. Sorry.

__________________
One life, one chance. Don't waste it!

p38lightning

[QUOTE=JTE83]Thanks for your reply! I fear old age as I might get Prostrate Cancer like my dad or worse Alzheimer's too! Does this run in families?

Talk to you doctor about PSA screening of your blood. This is an optional step in a blood test which evaluates Prostate Specific Antigens. If your level is elevated see a Uriologist who may perform a digital exam (as in finger not electronics!) or a needle biopsy. There are often false positives with PSAs but what is important is that the Uriologist forms a baseline of your PSA level and looks for increase variations over time. Have them do the PSA at least once a year if you have genetic predisposition or elevated levels.

How do I know this? I'm 61 and they started watching me about 3 years ago. It ain't fun but it sure beats prostate cancer.