Average annual cost of a room in a nursing home...

**disneysteve** · 04-03-2007, 10:47 AM

Originally posted by Fern View Post

Why must the average American senior citizen improverish him or herself just to qualify for Medicaid?

He doesn't. He can, instead, opt to purchase long term care insurance. At age 65, for about $2,000/year, a senior can buy a good LTC policy that will pay $200/day toward extended care. That's $73,000/year which would just about cover that average amount.

I think we are going to hear more and more about LTC insurance as our population ages. And the expense isn't so bad when you think about it. We currently pay for life insurance, which we won't need anymore by the time we are senior citizens, so we'll just transition to paying LTC premiums instead. Plus, the younger you are when you get LTC coverage, the lower the premiums.

**jodi** · 04-03-2007, 04:21 PM

Originally posted by Fern View Post

Let's hope we all go quickly.

Not to be morbid here, but that's the problem - no one wants to go quickly. We all want to hold on for as long as we possibly can, and medical advances are letting us do that - often maintaining life at a level without satisfaction. Everyone I know in the 40-60 age range says that they do not want to live past the age where they can't enjoy life, will be a "burden", etc...but when it comes down to it, who really wants to let go? And even if they did, what options are there (legally) to die under your own terms?

I'm not advocating stopping medical advances or withholding treatment, especially when there is a good quality of life to be had, but just voicing something that has boggled my mind for a while. It seems that so many people do NOT want to end up in nursing homes, but do anyway because of lack of alternatives.

I have recently watched two families (one being my MIL caring for my DH's grandparents) run themselves ragged to keep their parents at home. I know of programs that provide support and aides to families doing this - as well as senior day programs, but they are so few and far between. What a great option this would be for those who do want to stay at home.

**PrincessPerky** · 04-04-2007, 11:13 AM

I for one want to go quickly! If I can't enjoy life, I don't want to be huddled in a bed, wondering if any of my family have time from their busy schedule to drop in for a visit (and 29 days a month they are too busy)

course I am only 20 something....someone please email this post to me when I am 90

**jodi** · 04-04-2007, 11:17 AM

PP, I think everyone knows what they want when they are in their 20's, but views change as we age

I just want to live as long as I enjoy life!

**Joan.of.the.Arch** · 04-04-2007, 11:23 AM

I have a friend who lives in assisted living. Her body is giving out on her, and painfully so, but her mind is still good. She never gives me the impression that she wants to go quickly now. She works parttime as a botanical editor (thanks to internet!) and has just authored a book, a light-hearted supplementary text book ready for publication. She does however have money troubles. Her first severe health problems came when she was realtively young and seemingly healthy, working as a park ranger. I'm pretty sure she did not have insurance to cover her assistance needs. She has accepted what her state was able to provide.

**Fern** · 04-10-2007, 07:30 AM

Jodi, when i said let's hope we all go quickly, i didn't mean soon, just that, when the time comes, it's not a long lingering panful illness, but something quick. I hope i live to be 100, but only if i'm in relatively good shape.

**Ima saver** · 04-10-2007, 07:45 AM

I guess it is a good thing all my family died fairly young. None of them ever went in a nursing home.

**Aleta** · 04-10-2007, 08:11 AM

$75,000.00 a year, not bad. I guess that if you could find someone that would give you a room in their house and take care of you , that that would be a pretty good pay check for someone staying at home. Of course, that doesn't include nursing service unless the person caring for you was a licensed nurse. Think about that amount just for one person.

**Ima saver** · 04-10-2007, 08:30 AM

That is a good idea. My mother took in an elderly man and he stayed with her til he died, in her home. He paid all the utilities and gave her $50 a week for his care. (He paid for a lot of the groceries too) That was in the mid 70's.

**Aleta** · 04-10-2007, 08:33 AM

Ima: You're right. There are a lot of people looking for extra income, but of course you have to be careful and to get some kind of references. But there are many who have small social security checks, maybe alone, have a house big enough for extra people and it could become a source of income and companionship as well.

**Gruntina** · 04-10-2007, 08:51 AM

Nursing home is going to be extremely expensive for me, which is IF I can get a room.

There are only a handful of small nursing facilities for the deaf that puts deaf people together with deaf and hearing who knows sign language staffs. All of them are filled out and there is a huge waiting list. I rather die quickly than to be holed up in a regular staffing with no one to talk to and not being able to understand the staff and caretaker. How lonely! But then again I would die quickly there!

My family do not sign and I can not depend on my future children to take care of me if I live long.

**PrincessPerky** · 04-10-2007, 09:09 AM

Originally posted by Gruntina View Post

My family do not sign and I can not depend on my future children to take care of me if I live long.

Your famly doesn't know sign????

I would love to have a nearby deaf person to help me teach my kids sign...I taught some to my youngest and it is wonderful to know what he wants while he still refuses to talk (much)

I can't immagine not learning, learning slowly but I want to learn. I need to use something to be able to do it, so most of what I know I know of the kids version..bit umm easier, less specific. I am forgetting all the other stuff I once knew

.

**Gruntina** · 04-10-2007, 09:22 AM

Princess Perky...

We need more people like you! Smile. Unfortunately a lot of parents often feel like failure or that they have been cursed to have deaf children. Sometimes they are embarrassed or think they come off freakish. Most of the time people can be ignorant and think that "training" deaf to look and appear "hearing" is the best thing for them thinking it up's their chances for jobs and social influence when in fact they are so lonely inside.

But I do have a couple in my family that learns how to sign or more like trying to. What most people are not aware of is, deaf people are busy trying to make it through the day trying to understand or lip-read and people expect them to be the one to teach them how to sign. If one went to a community college or some non profit organization to learn the basic structure of sign language, the rest will follow a lot more smoothly.

**PrincessPerky** · 04-10-2007, 09:28 AM

Originally posted by Gruntina View Post

If one went to a community college or some non profit organization to learn the basic structure of sign language, the rest will follow a lot more smoothly.

well but then not having anyone to 'talk' to I would just lose the ability again ....

Average annual cost of a room in a nursing home...