Anyone have thoughts of integrating their parents? | General Homesteading Discussion | Forums

I go In and out of med facilities every day bro, some of which are long term care and assisted living. When they send one of us in something really bad has happened. I think you would be surprised at the atrocities that go on in these places. Medical licensees that you would hope are caring for your loved ones can cause some of the most horrendous injuries and deaths. The best facilities I have seen are often private pay and cost tremendous amounts of money....far more than social security benefits and a small pension would cover. Additionally, many facilities take direct control of your family members assets (unless in a irrevocable trust for several years prior to admission). If they receive assistance through home health care, keep an eye on their money, medications, and property.

Keep your loved ones with you as long as you can. Be prepared assist with the activities of daily living and medication administration (you must be able to lift them or use a device to move them!) Look into trusts that secure their money and can transfer control of assets before they need it. If they develop Alzheimer's or dementia you are in for a long rough hall as they strike out and do and say irrational things which cause hurt feelings, depression, marital discord and doubt.

I think those that can will be hold onto or moving their parents in with them out of financial necessity in the future as costs rise and benefits/entitlements decline.

I'd echo what morotetsuke has said. I spent a few years working in a LTC facility and see it this way, there will always be good people there taking care of their residents. However, every facility I have ever spent time in or around has an equal number of low brow employees. The majority of individual care is given by CNA's, as they stack nurse loads so high that much individual attention is nearly impossible. It takes six weeks (give or take) and a background check to become a CNA, and most of the good CNA's end up working at hospitals, what you have left tend to be low class, low moral, lower than average intellect. This sounds harsh, and I will say that I have had some fantastic aides to work with, but they are typically the exception. Nurses that remain in that environment also tend toward the bitter or low class end of the spectrum, again, not always, but there is a trend. It is hard, sometimes thankless work, and with the pending medicaid and medicare cuts, I don't see it improving. All that said, any family or individual that thinks they can provide the same around the clock care really don't comprehend the demands that will be made on them.