Canada or the U.S.

[trimmer21]

BUT ..the public assistance 'room' are the ones that are x4 to a room...AND she would have to sign over all her CCP, OAS, etc cheques and the rest is covered by the province.

You do not get public assistance if you want an upgraded (semi or private) room at the Nursing home. You can't add the $2200 public-provided money to the cost of a $3200-$4200 semi or private room.

The inheritance sure gets eaten-up fast when your Mom's room cost $50K a year !!

In that event,you'll need to protect your Mom's assets (inheritance) by liquidating her estate through a living will. It must accomplished before a Doctor declares her "unfit to care for herself". After is too late. Get yourself to a lawyer ASAP and follow their guidance. LTC's are notorious for draining a person's estate and leaving them to languish under "public care". That would be hell on earth and a ghastly way to spend one's final years.

[JoePa]

Joe, the subject has taken a turn ... if the person is mega wealthy, I'm sure you agree, the tax payer shouldn't need to pay for the retirement home costs. That normally is paid for by the individual, and planned for well ahead of time, if they have that kind of money.

The tax payer is here to pay for individuals that are in need of help, as in does not have sufficient funds ... which I think makes sense.

Doesn't it work about the same in the US? I know my wife's grandma had to pay for her own care/stay at a retirement home ... is there such as thing as government paid for retirement homes down there?

I think that things down here are pretty much the same with regard to using what you have to pay for your care - I know years ago old people would give all their assets to their children so that they would basically have nothing when they apply for assistance - but the law was changed to prevent this from happening - so if someone wants to do that they must do it a couple years prior to seeking assistance - I guess the moral of the story is when it is time to die to do it quickly and not linger in a nursing home for years and using up everything you worked for - I know a guy whose wife has been in a nursing home for years - when he visits she doesn't even know him - he told me that he had insurance for this type of thing but still has to pay quite a lot each month - he wonders how long he can do that and believes eventually he will be broke - the sad part is he is now starting to forget things to a point where he can't write out checks - believe me you don't want to get like that so hope when it is time to cash in it is a quicky - like falling out of your tree stand while hunting or falling overboard while reeling a monster walleye - remember the old saying - --- gees forgot what it was -

[MikePal]

In that event,you'll need to protect your Mom's assets (inheritance) by liquidating her estate through a living will. It must accomplished before a Doctor declares her "unfit to care for herself". After is too late. Get yourself to a lawyer ASAP and follow their guidance. LTC's are notorious for draining a person's estate and leaving them to languish under "public care". That would be hell on earth and a ghastly way to spend one's final years.

Thanks for the heads up...yes that's what we did. The equity from her house is paying for her assisted living and my sister is her power of attorney and executor ( I took care of my Dad's affairs).

I think in this day and age people who are counting on being in the will and getting a part of the estate will be disappointed. Drs can keep people alive a long time. There won't be much left after the cost of Nursing Homes takes most of it.

However..if you go into an LTC and see what your MOM will get on the provincial plan...you'll be happy to use all the money to get her a semi/private room.

[MarkB]

My Mom is in an 'assisted living' retirement home..she foots the entire bill. It's not until she requires nursing care and no longer can live in the assisted living facility, that she will be moved into another wing. Because she will then require nursing care 24/7, that's when there is the option for Public Assistance...I believe it's $2200 a month.

BUT ..the public assistance 'room' are the ones that are x4 to a room...AND she would have to sign over all her CCP, OAS, etc cheques and the rest is covered by the province.

You do not get public assistance if you want an upgraded (semi or private) room at the Nursing home. You can't add the $2200 public-provided money to the cost of a $3200-$4200 semi or private room.

The inheritance sure gets eaten-up fast when your Mom's room cost $50K a year !!

Sorry I should have clarified, my wife's grandma was living in the US (North Carolina) ... so she definitely had to pay down there.
I wasn't aware there were government funded retirement care homes in the US, so I'm asking Joe Pa (or anyone else to confirm).

I assume your situation is in Canada?

[Fox]

Sorry I should have clarified, my wife's grandma was living in the US (North Carolina) ... so she definitely had to pay down there.
I wasn't aware there were government funded retirement care homes in the US, so I'm asking Joe Pa (or anyone else to confirm).

I assume your situation is in Canada?

They do not pay blanket coverage in Canada, you can apply for subsidized housing in a home but these are few and far between. $3000-5000 a month is normal to live in a retirement or long term care home in Ontario, more for nursing homes. It is no different than going into retirement, unless you are one of the lucky few to have a pension you better have money saved up for your future as that will be used up before you end up in a subsidized facility.

[JoePa]

Sorry I should have clarified, my wife's grandma was living in the US (North Carolina) ... so she definitely had to pay down there.
I wasn't aware there were government funded retirement care homes in the US, so I'm asking Joe Pa (or anyone else to confirm).

I assume your situation is in Canada?

I googled your question -"Are there government funded nursing homes in the U.S. - yes there are - you can get the whole story on the google site mentioned - the one thing I wonder about is why family members don't take care of their elderly like they use to - I know it isn't always possible but it can be done in many cases - that's what was done years ago - my youngest daughter needs constant care and I take care of her with little help - been doing this for over 23 years since my wife passed away - I love her and promised my wife that I would care good care of her - I have other children that help out when it is needed -

[Fox]

I googled your question -"Are there government funded nursing homes in the U.S. - yes there are - you can get the whole story on the google site mentioned - the one thing I wonder about is why family members don't take care of their elderly like they use to - I know it isn't always possible but it can be done in many cases - that's what was done years ago - my youngest daughter needs constant care and I take care of her with little help - been doing this for over 23 years since my wife passed away - I love her and promised my wife that I would care good care of her - I have other children that help out when it is needed -

People did not live to be 110 in the old days, they also did not have monitors, electronics, etc, keeping them alive, they just grew old into their late 60s or 70s and died, to be a grandparent 2 generations ago was a big thing, not so much anymore.

My wife's great grandma was alive to be a great great grandma. Her kids were on social assistance themselves, it would not have been possible them to take care of their parents let alone themselves.

It is no longer possible to take care of your family on a single income, let alone take care of the previous generation and in this case generations.

[JoePa]

Fox I hear what you are saying but the way things work down here is that any old person is getting social security payments each month and is covered by medicare so the expense part isn't the real deciding factor - it is the time it takes to care for someone that is the hard part - a lot of people don't want to be burdened with this so they ship old folks off to the nursing home - I had a paper route when I was a kid - had close to 60 customers - it was a daily paper so I delivered papers everyday except Sundays - each month I would have to make the rounds and collect the monthly bill- I remember to this day how many houses that I went into had older people living with the family - I don't even think there was such a thing as a nursing home in those days -

I remember one family that had a grandmother who had Alzheimers living with them - the old lady would leave the house and get lost - they usually kept the doors locked so she couldn't get out but once in awhile they would forget to lock the door and the old lady would be missing - they would have to drive around the neighborhood looking for her - yes it was tough but somehow they did it

[MikePal]

I remember to this day how many houses that I went into had older people living with the family - I don't even think there was such a thing as a nursing home in those days -

The fact is Joe back when you were married you had neighbours like Ward and June Clever, a household where the housewife stayed at home with G'pa and the kids.

Society morphed in the 60's and conspicuous consumption required that both adults had to work. Sociaty now demands that a household has dual incomes....Governments need the taxes to maintaion our socialist cradle to grave lives.

There is no one home to take care of G'Pa anymore Joe. Nursing homes for G'pa is as normal as day care for the kids.

[JoePa]

Yes - times have changed - being in my late 80s I witnessed the change - to my way of thinking I don't think for the better - life was much simpler in those days and people were generally nicer and less inclined to do what is wrong - today our society seems to be wrapped in being selfish and not trustworthy - one only needs to view what is on the news and the garbage that is on tv - people do things today that were shameful in the old days - I think it is sad - the kids growing up today are going to have a tough time because their world in being built on shaky ground - no moral compass exits