I am finding a hot topic with many of my friends is, “What is the next step as we age?” Some in SaddleBrooke have built casitas with the idea of having someone live on the property to care for them in the future. Others will use their savings and equity from their homes to pay the high cost for future independent living options, hoping they won’t run out of money. These last few years, I have seen the trend of people living on cruise ships finding it is a lot less expensive than independent living facilities.
I am not just referring to independent living facilities in this article. There comes a time when a home is too much to manage, and these places provide meals and lots of social activities for people who are self-sufficient.
The following information refers to long term care facilities in the U.S. Medicare typically does not cover long term care, which is also known as “custodial care” or “long-term services and support.” This type of care includes assistance with daily activities like dressing, bathing and using the bathroom. If you need long-term care you usually must pay for it yourself unless you have Medicaid or private long-term care insurance.
Monthly Median Costs USA — National (2023):In-Home Care
Home Maker Services1 — $5,720
Home Health Aide1 — $6,292
Community and
Assisted Living
Adult Day Health Care2 — $2,058
Assisted Living Facility3 — $5,350
Nursing Home Facility
Semi-Private Room2 — $8,669
Private Room2 — $9,733
The Netherlands has incorporated an innovative district nursing and homecare model that is exciting global interest. Buurtzorg, which translates as “neighborhood care”, is seen by its many enthusiasts as a key part of the solution to challenges facing healthcare systems across the world. Nurses act as a “health coach” for the individual and their family, emphasizing preventive health measures but also delivering necessary care themselves or calling on others to do so. The golden rule is that nurses must spend 61 percent of their time in direct contact with the people they support.
The following is something to think about. Gail Minogue who assists individuals and organizations to navigate the dynamics of change plus the wisdom gained from over 30 years in the business markets and the intensive study and use of intuitive spiritual systems, states the following…
“For all our caring, we are still indifferent to the aged in our society. Why are we still unmoved by the plight of our aged and fragile citizens. These are our family members, friends and neighbors. Years ago, my Saudi friends wondered why we build “houses of death” for our aging family members. I had no answer other than the obvious, big profits and a lack of interest from our leaders and our citizens. He called nursing homes and assisted living facilities the warehouses of the dying. Not far from the truth. He couldn’t understand why family members would put their parents and relatives in these places.
So far, in the United States, there seems to be no movement in this area to subsidize long-term care for the aged or regulate and enforce the major for-profit companies who control these places.
No one knows what the future holds… when making major changes always consider having an advocate.
Longtime Tucson bar sold, to be redeveloped
