7 ms·

> also seen healthy but less able older folks put in homes so that their kids could collect their inheritances and sell off everything else... Not sure what yo

> also seen healthy but less able older folks put in homes so that their kids could collect their inheritances and sell off everything else... Not sure what you mean by this, but putting someone in a skilled nursing facility costs about 10,000/month nominally. The "Deficit Reduction Act" of 2005 (thanks Bush), requires a 5 year look-back period for transactions to family members. Meaning that if a resident spends down all their money and needs to go on medical assistance, the family members are on the hook to pay the equivalent of whatever property or money they received from the parent going back to 5 years before the application of medical assistance (yes, they look at taxes and all bank account records). This stuff is effectively a financial trap for middle class families that has caused immeasurable grief and hardship. Consulting with an lawyer who specializes in elder law is super important. As for nursing homes, they are sometimes the only option left. It's heartbreaking to put someone in a nursing home. I have done it but it was absolutely the right thing to do for my family. Everyone's situation is different, every nursing home is different. While I am sure that there is no shortage of greedy people, it's unfair to suggest that every person is equipped to give up their employment and take on 24/7/365 nursing care for a loved one and that not doing so is somehow "greedy".

eppp 6y ago
We hired a great person to help take care of a loved one during the day but it was complete luck that that person was available. It was still awful and if he had become any harder to take care of, we would have had to put him in a nursing home. Its a no win option.
chrisseaton 6y ago
> putting someone in a skilled nursing facility costs about 10,000/month nominally Who on earth is able to afford this? Everywhere I look there are nursing homes full of ordinary people. I can't believe more than 0.1% of these people are literally able to afford $10,000/month. People live in those places for 20 years sometimes. That's $24,000,000. It just doesn't add up, dude. I think the actual cost is way, way, way less.
- harryh 6y ago
  Medicaid
  - chrisseaton 6y ago
    Do you think most citizens pay in that much tax in their lifetime? How do you imagine this is adding up?
    - lotsofpulp 6y ago
      It doesn’t, which is why benefits are the biggest portion of US government spending. https://www.thebalance.com/u-s-federal-budget-breakdown-3305789 https://www.thebalance.com/u-s-federal-budget-breakdown-3305... >Mandatory expenditures, such as Social Security, Medicare, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program account for about 60% of the budget. Technically Medicaid is from state governments or at least some portion of it, but it probably looks the same there.
    - Digory 6y ago
      This is why people call it a pyramid scheme. The breakdown of single-earner families means kids and seniors get institutional care. And there isn’t enough money to socialize care as good as your family.
      - 55555 6y ago
        > The breakdown of single-earner families means kids and seniors get institutional care. And there isn’t enough money to socialize care as good as your family. I guess we'd save a lot of money if we just had family structures more like people in asian countries.
        tsjq 6y ago
        wouldn't that lead to a lot of job losses in the nursing homes / facilities sectors?
cyberdrunk 6y ago
In Poland, the rule is that basically if you and sibilings can afford to pay for the nursing home of your parent, there is no state assistance. The state only kicks in if the family is too poor to cover the costs. The rationale behind it being probably that caring for parents is the responsibility of family, not state.
- nradov 6y ago
  Does the state expect children who have emigrated to also contribute toward those costs? I know many younger Poles have moved to other EU countries for better job opportunities.
vict00ms 6y ago
> Not sure what you mean by this My grandmother was in good health but my mother didn't want to assist her (Medicare-provided) caretaker anymore and wanted her assets. She and my stepfather manufactured a scenario in which she took a fall, then stuck her in a nursing home and she died within a year. My mother knew the rules and got what she wanted without any repercussions (beyond losing contact with her only son).
- crispyambulance 6y ago
  ... so what's the point? That it's possible to find horror stories everywhere? The vast majority of people admitted to nursing homes have loving decent families. I have seen other situations where the family tries to take care of someone that really needs to be in a nursing home and ends up neglecting them. I think neglect is far more common-- and more indicative of greed.
  - vict00ms 6y ago
    Your response was dismissive of the possibility that families could throw a family member into a nursing home to raid their savings, etc. I'm telling you that this happens and providing a real-world example from my own life, just like you did. The vast majority of people do NOT have loving, decent families. You are lucky to have that world view but you should consider the possibility that it is quite flawed.

eppp 6y ago

We hired a great person to help take care of a loved one during the day but it was complete luck that that person was available. It was still awful and if he had become any harder to take care of, we would have had to put him in a nursing home. Its a no win option.

chrisseaton 6y ago

> putting someone in a skilled nursing facility costs about 10,000/month nominally Who on earth is able to afford this? Everywhere I look there are nursing homes full of ordinary people. I can't believe more than 0.1% of these people are literally able to afford $10,000/month. People live in those places for 20 years sometimes. That's $24,000,000. It just doesn't add up, dude. I think the actual cost is way, way, way less.

harryh 6y ago
Medicaid
- chrisseaton 6y ago
  Do you think most citizens pay in that much tax in their lifetime? How do you imagine this is adding up?
  - lotsofpulp 6y ago
    It doesn’t, which is why benefits are the biggest portion of US government spending. https://www.thebalance.com/u-s-federal-budget-breakdown-3305789 https://www.thebalance.com/u-s-federal-budget-breakdown-3305... >Mandatory expenditures, such as Social Security, Medicare, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program account for about 60% of the budget. Technically Medicaid is from state governments or at least some portion of it, but it probably looks the same there.
  - Digory 6y ago
    This is why people call it a pyramid scheme. The breakdown of single-earner families means kids and seniors get institutional care. And there isn’t enough money to socialize care as good as your family.
    - 55555 6y ago
      > The breakdown of single-earner families means kids and seniors get institutional care. And there isn’t enough money to socialize care as good as your family. I guess we'd save a lot of money if we just had family structures more like people in asian countries.
      - tsjq 6y ago
        wouldn't that lead to a lot of job losses in the nursing homes / facilities sectors?

cyberdrunk 6y ago

In Poland, the rule is that basically if you and sibilings can afford to pay for the nursing home of your parent, there is no state assistance. The state only kicks in if the family is too poor to cover the costs. The rationale behind it being probably that caring for parents is the responsibility of family, not state.

nradov 6y ago
Does the state expect children who have emigrated to also contribute toward those costs? I know many younger Poles have moved to other EU countries for better job opportunities.

vict00ms 6y ago

> Not sure what you mean by this My grandmother was in good health but my mother didn't want to assist her (Medicare-provided) caretaker anymore and wanted her assets. She and my stepfather manufactured a scenario in which she took a fall, then stuck her in a nursing home and she died within a year. My mother knew the rules and got what she wanted without any repercussions (beyond losing contact with her only son).

crispyambulance 6y ago
... so what's the point? That it's possible to find horror stories everywhere? The vast majority of people admitted to nursing homes have loving decent families. I have seen other situations where the family tries to take care of someone that really needs to be in a nursing home and ends up neglecting them. I think neglect is far more common-- and more indicative of greed.
- vict00ms 6y ago
  Your response was dismissive of the possibility that families could throw a family member into a nursing home to raid their savings, etc. I'm telling you that this happens and providing a real-world example from my own life, just like you did. The vast majority of people do NOT have loving, decent families. You are lucky to have that world view but you should consider the possibility that it is quite flawed.