I take care of my 93 year old mom in her home where I’ve lived for more than ten years. I don't receive any pay but I get free room and board.
I don’t have any medical experience but I think I earn my keep managing her affairs and health needs.
I was a stay-at-home mom for most of my children’s young lives so I can’t say I have my ducks in a row for my future.
Being alone wasn’t in the plan back when we were making decisions regarding our kids, to the extent that I can’t claim my husband’s social security benefits for five more years, until he reaches retirement age.
I am 66. My kids informed me not to expect them to care for me, long before I began to think about it. Fortunately, my mom has most all her mental faculties and hopefully I will, too.
I wonder if there will be better options for living arrangements for us in the not too far away future, than there is today.
I'm sorry to hear how long you ended up taking care of your mother, and yet you lost her at such a young age.
Please accept my sympathies.
So that's our plan. Robots. Programmed to cut toenails, plus drink service for Friday happy hour :)
I noticed something interesting a few weeks ago when I was checking out companies. I don't know if this is a trend or not, but suspect it might be, or may become so.
I discovered that one nationwide home care agency is owned by an LLC, which also owns another company in the general geriatric medical and care field. This could make more cash available for purchasing home care and related companies, creating more competition. But the LLC ownership obviously means that the individual partners are looking for returns, now and in the future.
What I think really needs to happen is more focus on caring at home, with funds allocated for retrofitting homes which may have been designed for much younger occupants. And that depends a lot on who's elected, whether or not a strong consumer lobby can successfully lobby Congress, and whether or not the institutional lobby will out maneuver the citizen lobby.
Another focus that needs to be strengthened is the family and extended community one, to help support aging in place. There's a vast difference between the senior centers in this area. A few are outstanding. In my father's community the SC had a registered dietician and social worker on staff, plus two small buses for transportation. My community finally got a bus last year, but only for 3 hours per day.
The kind of system libraries have, facilitating lending of books to other libraries, would be helpful. And the less experienced senior centers could learn from the more experienced ones.
AARP considers itself an advocate for improved issues of senior living. The field could use more advocates, but those focused sincerely on potential patients as opposed to increasing their share of the market.
What I would, and plan to do, is start retrofitting to adapt to age limitations. I'm using bookcases to store canned goods which used to be stored in the basement so I don't have to go up and down to get food. I'm planning (emphasize "planning"!) to downsize to eliminate the amount of "stuff" to clean.
Later this year I'm going to have the electrical system upgraded to add more outlets so I have some on each side of the rooms, to eliminate connecting cords and potential trip hazards.
In a rather unpleasant task, I'm pulling up all the carpeting to eliminate vacuuming and dust.
These are just for starters.
Medicare is a godsend to most (as long as you have the finances to support it), but those with no resources have Medicaid to foot the bill which government pays for exclusively. Not always the best of care. We could stop with removing the tax cap so everyone at all income levels would be contributing which would add a substantial boost....but that's just for starters. Seems government is sleeping at the wheel when it comes to long term planning. As for me, my plans are to move into a retirement manufactured home park because of the affordability and leaves me with remaining assets to simply enjoy life. Don't want my kids to have the burden of taking care of me....I will spend down my money and then check out. We'll see how that goes : )
My oldest daughter intends for me to get a mobile home with funds from my mothers house.
I”m not at all confident that there will be any inheritance and I’m not building any backup for myself while caring for her these last twelve years, so I have no idea what I’ll do.