Community Chat

[NickNack]

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@Carmie wrote:

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@JAXS Mom wrote:

Why were two people one of which was in a wheelchair and the other using a walker alone in the first place? It really sounds like they should have had a round the clock live in or been in assisted living. 

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Well, that's an easy to answer question.  Because they probably could not afford it.  Medicare and other health insurance does not cover custodial care or assisted living.

You must be well off or have long term care coverage which is expensive.  I have a second cousin who pays for help in her home for dressing, light meals and general help because she can't get around anymore.  She is in her 80's.  I almost fell over when she told me what  she pays for these services.  It's more than 200,000 a year.

I told her I'd do it fir half that price.  I wish she lived closer to me.  I'd help her at no cost to her.

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@Carmie    That price really doesn't make any sense.  I wonder if she was confused.  My father lives in an Independent Living Facility where he gets three meals a day, and it's not anywhere close to that.  Yes, it's very expensive but not close to $200,000 a year.  My sister and I visited Assisted Livings and Independent Livings, and while they were extremely expensive it wasn't anywhere near that.  You can get home care for less than an Assisted Living facility.  The nicest one in our town was under $4,000 a month.  I'm sure in big cities they are more.

The story from the OP is very sad.  It brought tears to my eyes.  It's been in the teens here for the past few days and is supposed to snow tonight.

[Snicks1]

This is so sad.

[MacDUFF]

@Carmie

@MaggieMack

Even at $20 per hour, 24/7/365, that is outrageous! 

[Carmie]

She lives in the suburbs near Philadelphia.  She has never been married and is the youngest child in her family and the only one still living.  She was born in the home she lives in.

She is of sound mind and wants to live in her home.  I don't know exactly what her help does nor how they charge, but her nephew, told me that  the figure she gave me was correct.  I know her help is there most of the day... She is alone at night only.

Some posters have said care can be had for $4000-5000 a month.  That would still be  48,000 - 60,000 a year and much more than most people can afford.

[missy1]

Sad. No one saw this. They were in the front-yard?

[jaxs mom]

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@Carmie wrote:

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@JAXS Mom wrote:

Why were two people one of which was in a wheelchair and the other using a walker alone in the first place? It really sounds like they should have had a round the clock live in or been in assisted living. 

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Well, that's an easy to answer question.  Because they probably could not afford it.  Medicare and other health insurance does not cover custodial care or assisted living.

You must be well off or have long term care coverage which is expensive.  I have a second cousin who pays for help in her home for dressing, light meals and general help because she can't get around anymore.  She is in her 80's.  I almost fell over when she told me what  she pays for these services.  It's more than 200,000 a year.

I told her I'd do it fir half that price.  I wish she lived closer to me.  I'd help her at no cost to her.

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I think she is being seriously ripped off. I have two relatives in assisted living, one of them had help that came before they moved into the facility. This is in So CA where things aren't cheap and one of the places is 4000 a month. I can tell you that the part time assistance they had at home was much much cheaper. 

I don't know anyone that is paying 200k a year for part time help dressing and meals, unless they want to be extremely generous. 

[Moonchilde]

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@MaggieMack wrote:

This story hurts my heart. It probably didn't take her long to succumb to the cold. One of those medical alert necklaces might have saved her life if either she or her husband had one on. Tragic.

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That was the first thing I thought when I heard about this heartbreaking loss. For all that some people on the forums like to knock the Medic-Alert type devices, one could have prevented this. 

[Drythe]

This makes me so sad.

Like John, I call or see my 88 year old Dad every day.  He is spry and mentally sound, but will NOT wear a first alert.

My MIL was in Assisted Living until she died.  It was $7,000 a month, $84,000 a year, not including physician visits, medications, hospital stays, or PT.  I did her personal laundry, and towels, they did her sheets. No other comment that I can make about this except to say it's true.

[jaxs mom]

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@Carmie wrote:

She lives in the suburbs near Philadelphia.  She has never been married and is the youngest child in her family and the only one still living.  She was born in the home she lives in.

She is of sound mind and wants to live in her home.  I don't know exactly what her help does nor how they charge, but her nephew, told me that  the figure she gave me was correct.  I know her help is there most of the day... She is alone at night only.

Some posters have said care can be had for $4000-5000 a month.  That would still be  48,000 - 60,000 a year and much more than most people can afford.

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Apples and oranges, it isn't 40-50k a year just to hire someone to help you dress and cook meals. And it's certainly not 200K unless you want to just give your money away. 

Additionally, I know from personal experience that if these people in the OP had ever been in the hospital they do not send you home if you have no help and can't care for yourself. A couple where one is in a walker and one is in a wheelchair would not be allowed to leave the hospital without some arrangment for assistance to come in. 

[MacDUFF]

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@Carmie wrote:

...Some posters have said care can be had for $4000-5000 a month. That would still be  48,000 - 60,000 a year and much more than most people can afford.

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I hear ya and I agree, but $60,000 per year is a far piece from $200,000 per year (and not even 24 hrs per day?????)!!

@Carmie