No Nursing Home for Me .... What a graceful Retirement.
About 2 years ago my wife and I were on a cruise through the western
Mediterranean aboard a Princess liner. At dinner we noticed an
elderly lady sitting alone along the rail of the grand stairway in
the main dining room. I also noticed that all the staff, ships
officers, waiters, busboys, etc., all seemed very familiar with this
lady. I asked our waiter who the lady was, expecting to be told
that she owned the line,but he said he only knew that she had been
on board for the last four cruises, back-to-back.
As we left the dining room one evening I caught her eye and stopped
to say hello. We chatted and I said, "I understand you've been on
this ship for the last four cruises." She replied, "Yes, that's
true." I stated, "I don't understand" and she replied, without a
pause, "It's cheaper than a nursing home."
So, there will be no nursing home in my future. When I get old and
feeble, I am going to get on a Princess Cruise Ship. The average
cost for a nursing home is $200 per day. I have checked on
reservations on a Princess and I can get a long term discount and
senior discount price of $135 per day That leaves $65 a day for:
1. Gratuities which will only be $10 per day.
2. I will have as many as 10 meals a day if I can waddle to the
restaurant, or I can have room service (which means I can have
breakfast-in-bed every day of the week).
3. Princess has as many as three swimming pools, a workout room,
free washers and dryers, and shows every night.
4. They have free toothpaste and razors, and free soap and shampoo.
5. They will even treat you like a customer, not a patient. An extra
$5 worth of tips will have the entire staff scrambling to help you.
6. I will get to meet new people every 7 or 14 days.
7. T.V. broken? Light bulb need changing? Need to have the mattress
replaced? No Problem! They will fix everything and apologize for
your inconvenience.
8. Clean sheets and towels every day, and you don't even have to ask
for them.
9. If you fall in the nursing home and break a hip you are on
Medicare; if you fall and break a hip on the Princess ship they will
upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.
Now hold on for the best! Do you want to see South America, the
Panama Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, or name where
you want to go?
Princess will have a ship ready to go. So don't look for me in a
nursing home, just call shore to ship.
PS: And don't forget, when you die, they just dump you over the side
-- at no charge.
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And the way people are treated in nursing homes, is a whole load of other thread, that we won't get into :)
They didn't have to do a whole lot. The lifespan was considerably shorter for the average person. It wasn't all that long ago that 65 was considered a max (hence the retirement age being set at that number (in the 1930's or 40's I think) as the thinking was that few pensions would have to paid if people were required to work until an age past normal life expectancy).
Meanwhile, the Western world was much like the rest of the world with family taking on much of the care. Unfortunately, taking care of people in their 80's & 90's is a huge job not many people faced before now and there is nothing to say it was done with any skill. Anyone who has been through it knows it's better left to the professionals for the health and well being of everyone involved.
Does the way they have been brought up, have something to do with this?
OMG...if i count on my kids taking care of me when i get old...I'M SOOOOO SCREWED!!!! :D
May be, but am sure there were a lot of working women ( and I don't mean ladies of the night ), during those times, that still manged to get home and prepare dinner for the whole family.
I am sure they lived with their families but in those days I am sure the women of the house were more stay at home and not putting in 12 hour days running a busy Rest. If I was home all day I am sure it would be different but not doing the 2 jobs to much for me.
except for the motion sickness, sounds great!
I wonder what people did in the western world, before the days on "elderly homes"?
I have tried that looking after my eldery MIL for 2 years and it shortened my and her life by years. It is easier said than done. She was not happy as she was alone all day and when I got home from work she nearly drove me crazy. It was not her fault she was lonely and the last thing I needed ater a long day at the rest. was someone talking my ear off and asking for a zillion things. I spent my days catering to everyones needs and come home to the same demands was to much. She has since moved into a home where she has her own apartment and gets her meals in a DR and they have entertainment and there are other people there that she can talk to all day long. She has someone come in and give her bath and visit with her. I know this is their job so they have time for it. She is much happier and loves it there even though she won't admit it. BTW she is 97 and still going strong.
I'm not going to hold my breath to have my kids looking after me when I get old....I'm going to a luxurious place and never mind staying with my kids. :D
Even better, train the kids up, so they can look after their elders, like they do in Africa, Asia and in some parts of Europe. There are great benefits for both sides :)
especially the last line!