COST OF NURSING HOMES $$$$$

SlowlySinking

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The cost of Nursing Homes Has become Outrageous, <br /><br />SO,,,<br /><br />LET'S RETIRE AT THE HOLIDAY INN<br /><br />A few days ago, we received one of those infinitely forwarded e-mails that struck our fancy because it was so clever and, as you'll soon read, has a certain quirky logic. "No nursing home for me! I'm checking into the Holiday Inn.<br /><br />With the average cost for a nursing home per day reaching $188.00, there is a better way when we get old and feeble. I have already checked on<br />reservations at the Holiday Inn. For a combined long-term stay discount and senior discount, it's $49.23 per night.<br /><br />That leaves $138.77 a day for:<br />1. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner in any restaurant I want, or room service.<br />2. Laundry, gratuities, and special TV movies.<br />3. Plenty of beer, wine, boose, RX's etc.<br /><br />Plus, they provide a swimming pool, a workout room, a lounge, washer, dryer, etc. Most have free toothpaste and razors, and all have free shampoo and soap. They treat you like a valued customer, not a PITA patient. And $5-$10 worth of tips a day will have the entire staff scrambling to help you.<br /><br />There is a city bus stop out front, and seniors ride free. The handicap bus will also pick you up (if you fake a decent limp). To meet other nice people, call a church bus on Sundays. The Hoilday Inn shuttle bus will take you to and from the Airport for a free change of scenery, and you can eat at one of the nice Restaurants there. While you're at the airport, do some shopping, fly somewhere. Otherwise, the cash keeps building up. <br /><br />Remember, it takes months to get into decent nursing homes, and the cost, forgetaboutit. <br /><br />Holiday Inn will take your reservation "today". <br /><br />And you are not stuck in one place forever, you can move from Inn to Inn, or even from city to city with all the money you save up. Want to see hula girls in Hawaii, grand kids in Florida? They have a Holiday Inn there. <br /><br />TV broken? Light bulbs need changing? Need a mattress replaced? No problem. They fix everything, quickly, and "apologize" for the inconvenience.<br /><br />The Inn has a night security person and daily room service. The maid checks every day to see if you are OK. If not, they will call the front desk, ambulance, or undertaker. If you fall and break a hip, Medicare will pay for the hip, and Holiday Inn will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life to avoid the lawsuit. <br /><br />And no worries about visits from family. They will gladly visit you, and probably check in for a few days mini-vacation. The grandkids can use the pool. What more can you ask for?<br /><br />So, when I reach the golden age I'll face it with a grin. Just forward all my emails to the Holiday Inn!" <br /><br />Upon telling this story at a dinner with friends and too much red wine, we came up with even more benefits the Holiday Inn provides to retirees:<br />Most standard rooms have coffeemakers, reclining chairs, and satellite TV, all you need to enjoy a cozy afternoon. <br /><br />After a movie and a good nap, you can check on your children (free local phone calls), then take a stroll to the lounge or restaurant where you meet new and exotic people every day, not the same old crudgemugeons. Many Holiday Inns even feature live entertainment on the weekends.<br /><br />Often they have special offers, too, like the Kids Eat Free Program.<br /><br />You can invite your grandkids over after school to have a free dinner with you. Just tell them not to bring more than three friends.<br /><br />Pick a Holiday Inn where they allow pets, and your best friend can keep you company as well. <br /><br />If you want to travel, but are a bit skittish about, unfamiliar surroundings, in a Holiday Inn you'll always feel at home because wherever you go, the rooms all look the same. And if you're getting a little absent-minded in your old days,you never have to worry about not finding your room - your electronic key fits only one door and the helpful bellman or desk clerk is on duty 24/7 to help you find the right room. <br /><br />Being perma-skeptics, we called a Holiday Inn to check this story out and are happy to report that they were positively giddy at the idea of us<br />checking in for a year or more. They even offered to negotiate the rate (we probably could have easily knocked them down to $40 a night! That leaves more money for the good life).<br /><br />Now compare this to that nursing home and I think you'll agree,,,,,<br /><br />,, see you at the Inn! ;)
 

FLATHEAD

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Dec 29, 2002
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Re: COST OF NURSING HOMES $$$$$

Nursing care is no laughing matter. We take care of my wifes 85 year old grandfather's affairs. He is in a nursing home in the skilled nursing section. It cost him 60,000 dollars just to get in the place. We pay a 7000 dollar a month bill for him to be there. <br /><br />This man worked his rear end off all his life and built up a nice nest egg, with the hopes of passing some along to family. At this rate he will be penniless in a matter of a few short years. <br /><br />With both my wife and I working we could no longer take care of him at home, he became a danger to himself being alone.<br /><br />Sad, very Sad.
 

SlowlySinking

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Re: COST OF NURSING HOMES $$$$$

Hi Flahthead, nobody is making fun of people in nursing homes, I have relatives in some and expect to be there myself, the point of the post is to make fun of the outrageous cost and simply compare it to staying at Holiday Inn, it's a parody, not an insult. <br />Given your situation I can only say that you might contact an elder care lawyer and set up a Irrevocable Trust for you to put your assets in before you need a nursing home, that way it's protected from the nursing home and goes to your heirs as you would want. <br /><br />By the way, anyone reading this post should find out what happens to your life long accumulated assets if you have to be in a nursing home. Do it now before it's too late.
 

ob

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Aug 16, 2002
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Re: COST OF NURSING HOMES $$$$$

SlowlySinking,The original post is so funny and so true I don't know whether to laugh or cry.Hey one other tidbit.I bet the employees at the Holiday Inn don't abuse their tenants that don't have the mental capacity to report it.
 

FLATHEAD

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Re: COST OF NURSING HOMES $$$$$

SlowlySinking, No offence taken. I just put that up there for those that dont know how bad it is as far as elder care these days.<br /><br />I hope to live to a ripe old age, but hope I kick the bucket before I see one of those place's
 

SlowlySinking

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Re: COST OF NURSING HOMES $$$$$

Hi Flahthead, I wasn't quite sure how you took the post, but I wanted to explain it. I agree 100%, seeing how the old folks live in nursing homes is more than I can handle, Aside from the cost I think the worse part is the loss of ones dignity. Putting your loved ones in a nursing home is one of the toughtest decisions we ever make, but when you and the little lady work full time to survive there'so way to provide the 24/7 care thay get there, it may not be perfect, but life isn't either, my sister in law made her own decision with a bottle of sleeping pils, she watched her parents die in nursing homes and wanted no part of that, a few weeks before she died her husband burned the house down, he put a frying pan of grease on the stove, lit it, walked away and forgot about it, I give her credit for having the guts to do what she did. <br /><br />Frankly, I also made my decision, I'll never be in a nursing home,,,
 

roscoe

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Oct 30, 2002
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Re: COST OF NURSING HOMES $$$$$

My parents have an expensive insurance policy to cover their future nursing home needs. When I found out how much they were willing to pay for this insurance, I realized how little they trust me to take care of them. :D :eek:
 

John Carpenter

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Nov 1, 2002
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Re: COST OF NURSING HOMES $$$$$

If you have not already done so, check into the cost of long term care insurance. Considering the cost of nursing homes, it is surprisingly affordable. There is nothing affordable about nursing homes...or desirable. I have spent a lot of time in them on business, and there are very few that I would allow a loved one in.<br /><br />If you have a parent that is getting along in years, talk to a lawyer now about what you need to do to protect their assets from the nursing homes and the state. There is a lot you can do...and you should do it. They will take every penny they can get their hands on, and at thousands of dollars every month it doesn't take long to drain even the largest nest egg.
 

SlowlySinking

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Re: COST OF NURSING HOMES $$$$$

Roscoe, your folks did you a favor by planning thier future. Long term care insurance is one solution, but a properly designed trust can protect assets from the nursing home bill collector with a one tine fee and can avoid the costly and time wasting probate process. <br />I sound like a shill for lawyers but I'm not. Most elder care lawyers will explain the benefits of a trust for free, then you make the decision. I did an irrevocable trust so my assets go to my children, not the nursing home or long term care insurance company. Something to think about, but don't wait too long.
 

roscoe

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Re: COST OF NURSING HOMES $$$$$

My parents have done some sort of a trust to protect their assets. Not sure of the details, but most of the assets will go to his causes (church and AA). Its mainly there in case one of them needs extensive long term care, so the other can remain in their home and maintain their life. But dad also believes in paying his way, just like his father did, so I doubt there will be much left when they are gone.
 

FLATHEAD

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Re: COST OF NURSING HOMES $$$$$

A trust can protect a percentage of your assets. But to get into the better nursing homes they have their own agenda as to how much money is available to them. You have to meet the financial criteria to get in. If you are not careful you might see your loved ones end up in the county home, with poor care, so you can enjoy the assets they have built up over the years. It would be kind of hard to enjoy any inheritance under those circumstances.
 
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