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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My parents thought they had planned carefully but had no comprehension of elder care costs in the 21st century (neither did us kids). They were an accountant and administrative assistant with modest pensions and &lt;$1 million in other savings. It's all gone after years of those $10k/month bills. My Dad passed at 86 and my 88-year old Mom is moving to a Medicaid facility this summer.

Sometimes that's how it goes when you get old. I have no better suggestion other than to not be sick for very long at the end.[/quote]

Precisely what happened to us. My dad went to level 4 LTC at Hebrew Home in Rockville at 15K/month. Previously he'd had 24-hour private nurses at his home at ca. 30k/month. We burned through his savings, and his house sale proceeds, like a match through dry grass.

Now that he has passed, I'm wondering what to do in my own old age. "Not being sick for very long at the end" is the only solution in the US, unless you are very wealthy indeed.[/quote]
We’re getting fleeced.

Thank God, my mother has chosen to not have extraordinary lifesaving interventions, on an ethical basis. She says she’s already had a long, productive and happy life. She wants to go when her time is up. At a certain point, I’ll have similar directives in place. And certainly no organ “donations”.[/quote]

It's not the extraordinary lifesaving interventions that bankrupt most elderly people. Those costs are predominantly covered by Medicare. It's the day-to-day care that is not covered by Medicaid unless you are already bankrupt. At a certain point, you may have had enough, but your body may have very different ideas. Better have a plan for euthanasia in place. You have no idea how long a body can keep on going, well after quality of life has nosedived.[/quote]

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