With some experience in senior living situations, and looking at the coming expense bubble for senior healthcare, it seems to me that alternate solutions will be necessary, to keep anything like a stable economy. Without going in to detail, assisted living costs and nursing home costs can range from 35K to 275K per year, and 24/7 homecare well over $125,000/yr.
Costs of Care in Your State - Long-Term Care Information
The scope of the problem is overwhelming, when trying to resolve it under the law, the politics, and the accepted policies that exist today.
To over simplify... to avoid counterproductive argument, I wanted to share and solicit some thinking about possible, practical solutions.
To begin, a situation that I'm familiar with, because it involved a next door neighbor, who was 85, when we moved in to our house, and passed away 2 years ago, peacefully and quietly, after a few days in a nursing home.
Fran, whose husband had passed away 10 years before, was quite independent, well educated, and living on a moderate income in her comfortable home. While she had children who lived within 100 miles, they were both still working in management that required them being on call, 24/7. Besides that, Fran had no desire to move in with them. The problem was severe arthritis, debilitating to the point of requiring assistance, moving from char to wheelchair, to car, and to bed.
The family found, or connected with, Doris, a 60 year old lady from the Ukraine, who they "hired" as a 24/7 companion. Doris was not fluent in English, having been brought over to the US by her husband, who passed away shortly after arrival, leaving her effectively destitute.
Thus began a symbiotic relationship that lasted for 7 years... good for both Fran and Doris. Fran owned her house, and a car, and paid for all of Doris's needs, in return for housing, board, transportation and the security of a nice home, good neighborhood and all of the normal costs of living. A pleasant coexistence.
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Another situation with which I am even more familiar. A 55 year old man, living on disability, with no possible hope for legal employment in the public sector, and yet with a good education, and very intelligent. Net assets, due to expenses before receiving disability, almost nothing. No car, no home, and no relatives who are able to help. In effect, no future, except squalid living or homelessness. And yet... smart, able to ambulate, drive, do paperwork, and in general live a healthy productive life, subject to legal limitations.
.........................................................................................
This latter situation, posted, not looking for criticism or solutions, but simply to bring the original subject back into focus. The logical, practical and economically sensible solution is to bring those with needs, together... a slightly different version of the "economies of scale".
The problem is... it isn't "legal" in the strict sense of the word.
.........................................................................................
There are thousands of reasons why this isn't done, and why it can't be done.
Instead of developing this list of negatives, maybe looking at it with a "can do" attitude could open some doors to a wider solution... I'm thinking in terms of some kind of internet based social connection like Crag's List, or Dating websites, but with some kind of legal safety net to protect against exploitation. A fine line between bureaucracy and practicality.
I'm sure that this kind of connection already exists, but believe that the potential of bringing together those with different needs could help with the potential problems of the "senior economic bubble" that is waiting in the wings.
Constructive thoughts?
Costs of Care in Your State - Long-Term Care Information
The scope of the problem is overwhelming, when trying to resolve it under the law, the politics, and the accepted policies that exist today.
To over simplify... to avoid counterproductive argument, I wanted to share and solicit some thinking about possible, practical solutions.
To begin, a situation that I'm familiar with, because it involved a next door neighbor, who was 85, when we moved in to our house, and passed away 2 years ago, peacefully and quietly, after a few days in a nursing home.
Fran, whose husband had passed away 10 years before, was quite independent, well educated, and living on a moderate income in her comfortable home. While she had children who lived within 100 miles, they were both still working in management that required them being on call, 24/7. Besides that, Fran had no desire to move in with them. The problem was severe arthritis, debilitating to the point of requiring assistance, moving from char to wheelchair, to car, and to bed.
The family found, or connected with, Doris, a 60 year old lady from the Ukraine, who they "hired" as a 24/7 companion. Doris was not fluent in English, having been brought over to the US by her husband, who passed away shortly after arrival, leaving her effectively destitute.
Thus began a symbiotic relationship that lasted for 7 years... good for both Fran and Doris. Fran owned her house, and a car, and paid for all of Doris's needs, in return for housing, board, transportation and the security of a nice home, good neighborhood and all of the normal costs of living. A pleasant coexistence.
....................................................................................................
Another situation with which I am even more familiar. A 55 year old man, living on disability, with no possible hope for legal employment in the public sector, and yet with a good education, and very intelligent. Net assets, due to expenses before receiving disability, almost nothing. No car, no home, and no relatives who are able to help. In effect, no future, except squalid living or homelessness. And yet... smart, able to ambulate, drive, do paperwork, and in general live a healthy productive life, subject to legal limitations.
.........................................................................................
This latter situation, posted, not looking for criticism or solutions, but simply to bring the original subject back into focus. The logical, practical and economically sensible solution is to bring those with needs, together... a slightly different version of the "economies of scale".
The problem is... it isn't "legal" in the strict sense of the word.
.........................................................................................
There are thousands of reasons why this isn't done, and why it can't be done.
Instead of developing this list of negatives, maybe looking at it with a "can do" attitude could open some doors to a wider solution... I'm thinking in terms of some kind of internet based social connection like Crag's List, or Dating websites, but with some kind of legal safety net to protect against exploitation. A fine line between bureaucracy and practicality.
I'm sure that this kind of connection already exists, but believe that the potential of bringing together those with different needs could help with the potential problems of the "senior economic bubble" that is waiting in the wings.
Constructive thoughts?
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