Forget National Healthcare, why not provide elder care? (1 Viewer)

[Sabertooth]

My mom is dying. Loaded with Cancer. Then again, she's survived longer than her initial prognosis so we don't know how long she's got left. Could be two weeks, two months, or two years.

She has only medicaid and medicare for insurance, only income is social security and SSI . She worked as an LPN for the past 30 years. She made the mistake of not becoming and RN early on and when she had my little sister at age 35, and my sister had serious health issues her whole life (liver transplant, cancer twice, crohn's, and on an on) she never advanced past that LPN point. She spent all her time (and money) with my sister who we all thought would be lucky to make 20. Well sis 26 now and mom is loaded with cancer (lung, ovaries, brain, stomach).

Mom found out she had cancer about a year ago. She's broke (beyond broke actually, my brother and I are paying off her accrued debts). It has taken everything from her. No home, car, money, or possessions really. Just her and her cancer.

So I'm researching a long term care option for her. And it's basically really rough places, or tons of money out of pocket. I am going to be footing a lot of this bill and I cannot repeat my mother's financial shortcomings by tanking my family.

Which brings me to the original question. What are the good reasons for not having the government simply provide dignified elder care for those that are dying? The prices on some of these places is just insane. It just seems like a big scam to me. And seeing my loved one go through this is kind of sickening. Here is the woman who used to make me PBJ sammiches potentially living out her days in a really scary bleak place.

I'm not political really. I tend to think the whole system is just one big party. But this is something that every one of our parents, and selves, and kids are going to go through some day. Why can't the government just run that whole thing? I know some of the reason people don't want national health care is because all the doctors might quit or move due to fixed compensation. But I'm talking end of life care here. My mom doesn't need a specialist to tell her she's dying. She knows. What she needs is a place properly staffed that can help her when she needs help until the point where her cancer finishes her off.

I don't know. Maybe I'm rambling. Just seems like we could treat people with a little bit more dignity at the end. We piss tons of money away on bull#### programs, why can't we do the right thing here?

 

[shadyridr]

Sorry you are going through this

 

[fourd]

My mom is dying. Loaded with Cancer. Then again, she's survived longer than her initial prognosis so we don't know how long she's got left. Could be two weeks, two months, or two years.

She has only medicaid and medicare for insurance, only income is social security and SSI . She worked as an LPN for the past 30 years. She made the mistake of not becoming and RN early on and when she had my little sister at age 35, and my sister had serious health issues her whole life (liver transplant, cancer twice, crohn's, and on an on) she never advanced past that LPN point. She spent all her time with my sister who we all thought would be lucky to make 20. Well she's 26 now.

Mom found out she had cancer about a year ago. It has taken everything from her. No home, car, or possessions really. Just her and her cancer.

So I'm researching a long term care option for her. And it's basically really rough places, or tons of money out of pocket. I am going to be footing a lot of this bill and I cannot repeat my mother's financial shortcomings by tanking my family.

Which brings me to the original question. What are the good reasons for not having the government simply provide elder care for those that are dying? The prices on some of these places is just insane. It just seems like a big scam to me. And seeing my loved one go through this is kind of sickening. Here is the woman who used to make me PBJ sammiches potentially living out her days in a really scary bleak place.

I'm not political really. I tend to think the whole system is just one big party. But this is something that every one of our parents, and selves, and kids are going to go through some day. Why can't the government just run that whole thing? I know some of the reason people don't want national health care is because all the doctors might quit or move due to fixed compensation. But I'm talking end of life care here. My mom doesn't need a specialist to tell her she's dying. She knows. What she needs is a place properly staffed that can help her when she needs help until the point where her cancer finishes her off.

I don't know. Maybe I'm rambling. Just seems like we could treat people with a little bit more dignity at the end. We piss tons of money away on bull#### programs, why can't we do the right thing here?

Very sorry to hear aboutr your mom. Have you looked into hospice care? Medicare pays for it and is done at home, For end of life care the people that work in this field are tremendous. her doctor/hospital social worker should be able to help her if she is eligible.

 

[Sabertooth]

She's not qualified for hospice. They are kicking her out of her Skilled Care Facility on Sunday because she's reached her potential for improvement apparently. Although she likely still has C-diff and cannot operate a walker without assistance. Spends her day sitting in a wheelchair now with her legs elevated so blood doesn't pool in her feet (low blood pressure).

It's crazy to me how these policies are written by the insurance providers. I think we should just cut them out entirely in this case and make it direct-pay.

 

[fred_1_15301]

Wow not sure what to say but sorry to hear about what you're going through. When my mom went through her cancer, my parents were fortunate enough to be able to afford the care. After about 2 years of suffering, the last week of her life was a peaceful end in hospice care. Not sure if you're ready to make that decision yet. T&P.

 

[Sabertooth]

Hospice will be on the table at some point. It's hard to tell when she's going to go to be honest. She's up and down. Sometimes she looks like she's incapable of anything, other day's she is rather ok. Always lonely. That's what I am concerned with. Just the loneliness. I remember going to see my grandmother at the bottom of the barrel facility around her when she was dying. It was ugly.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I always thought our elderly were generally disregarded by society until I spent time in places like Moldova and the Ukraine. There you see elderly folks begging for change everywhere because their meager Soviet era pensions can't even pay to heat their small apartments.

With our population becoming older and the first offspring of the Baby Boomer generation entering their 70s next year, the problem of caring for the elderly will become more acute. Long-term care, hospice, retirement communities, short-term care, in-house nursing, etc will all become social priorities. Caring for them will become more and more expensive and more burdensome for society. So this is a pretty important issue that is snowballing.

Sorry about your Mom, not an easy situation.

 

[cstu]

She's not qualified for hospice. They are kicking her out of her Skilled Care Facility on Sunday because she's reached her potential for improvement apparently. Although she likely still has C-diff and cannot operate a walker without assistance. Spends her day sitting in a wheelchair now with her legs elevated so blood doesn't pool in her feet (low blood pressure).

It's crazy to me how these policies are written by the insurance providers. I think we should just cut them out entirely in this case and make it direct-pay.

Agree.

 

[cstu]

I'm not political really. I tend to think the whole system is just one big party. But this is something that every one of our parents, and selves, and kids are going to go through some day. Why can't the government just run that whole thing? I know some of the reason people don't want national health care is because all the doctors might quit or move due to fixed compensation. But I'm talking end of life care here. My mom doesn't need a specialist to tell her she's dying. She knows. What she needs is a place properly staffed that can help her when she needs help until the point where her cancer finishes her off.

If they want to quit, let them as there are millions of Indian doctors who would love to come here.

 

[Sabertooth]

Thanks for the well wishes guys. I agree it's going to become a problem. My mom doesn't have anything. No money, no ability to work, she can't even stand up most of the time (never without help). She just sits there while we discuss this stuff with a blank look almost saying to us "I'm sorry, I wish I'd been better with the little money I did make." It's heartbreaking.