Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

[Fuddy1952]

This is going to sound like one of those late night commercials to tell you to buy Silver or Gold.
It is interesting that right now, there aren't any of those commercials. The silence is deafening...

They want you buying gold/silver so theirs goes up!

 

[Fuddy1952]

$10k is about what you would pay for a decent assisted living apartment. I'm not going to give up on living and sit in front of a TV for the rest of my life. When it comes my time, I'll take care of it.

Final Exit - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Larry! Suicide!...NOOOOOOO!!!!!

 

[JasperFrank]

"They want you to buy so that theirs goes up....." Not Yet..... There is still another spike, then drop, then super spike coming up. Maybe next year.

In the Pacific Northwest there is something I see every year, during crabbing season.
Three old guys go out on a 16 foot boat with a 9 HP outboard and all of them drown, when said light aluminum boat is taken by the waves at the river bar, on an outgoing tide, and all of them had life insurance. It happens so often, and with such regularity, in almost the exact same sort of way, that I have to conclude that some of it is intentional.


I say, "Well Played, Gentlemen."

 

[Fuddy1952]

If you're old and want to stay in your home and reley upon Home Health and others to help you along, you better have a lot of money that is liquid and easy accessible. Otherwise they will put a lein on your place and your wife will have to sell all your stuff at fire sale prices to fund this.

My mom is paying 10K a month for my 88 year old grandpa right now for home care. You don't want to see the facility they put people that can't afford care. There is not Home Health care for people that can't afford to pay the man. They put them all in one giant slow death camp.

My 95 yo Mom has 24/7 care at home since 2013. It is expensive.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Larry! Suicide!...NOOOOOOO!!!!!

Why not? When your life is over, it's over. I put my dogs down when they have run their last trail, I see no reason not to provide the same grace to myself.

 

[MossRoad]

Why not? When your life is over, it's over. I put my dogs down when they have run their last trail, I see no reason not to provide the same grace to myself.

I agree that it's a very personal choice. I've mentioned before that when my father was dying, laying there in a hospital bed drowning in his own fluids, and been revived a few times, I told him if he was my dog I would have put him down weeks ago. He laughed and said it wasn't that bad yet. I told him to let me know when it was. A few days later, he said he'd had enough, and they loaded him up with morphine. He woke up once from that and we had a good laugh when he said "I'm not dead yet." in a reference to Monte Python. He passed the next morning.

 

[ultrarunner]

Spend 3 to 4 hours each day at Skilled Nursing... not only expensive but darn hard to find... never before staff shortages as experiencing now with some working 16 hour shifts.

Base charge is about $500 per day.

Most have applied for emergency staffing waivers because it is not like you just close the doors and the some very large municipal owned are closing due to licensing... such as Laguna Honda in SF... just no where for so many to go

Mom's first roommate was there 3 days and full SARS... several of her nurses then out with SARS and residents expire due to natural causes as did her new roommate last night.

Getting old ain't for sissies is an expression that is so true.

Thankfully mom we all continue to be SARS negative... but it sure makes helping and visiting difficult and a reality of nursing/retirement home setting today.

Mom to be discharged next week and keeping my fingers crossed...

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Fear in Retirement can shutdown it's enjoyment. Well this is true for all of life but when we're thinking retirement a lot of the waters have already flowed under the bridge yet we need to make sure that fear does not control the end stage of a physical life. I find fearing is easy Loving unconditionally is hard. I'm starting to realize everyone is performing as well as they can based on their understanding at the time. This helps free me from being judgmental of others and to ignore the judgment of others that do not see things the same way as I may.

 

[Fuddy1952]

I agree that it's a very personal choice. I've mentioned before that when my father was dying, laying there in a hospital bed drowning in his own fluids, and been revived a few times, I told him if he was my dog I would have put him down weeks ago. He laughed and said it wasn't that bad yet. I told him to let me know when it was. A few days later, he said he'd had enough, and they loaded him up with morphine. He woke up once from that and we had a good laugh when he said "I'm not dead yet." in a reference to Monte Python. He passed the next morning.

Wow...that's rough!
I see both sides of it, just hope I go to sleep and don't wake up. I'd hate to think about suicide not just from a Christian standpoint but what that would put on the family.

 

[California]

I'd hate to think about suicide not just from a Christian standpoint but what that would put on the family.

I think there's a difference between suicide that shocks everyone affected, and knowing, assisted dying.

Dad had Polio back in the day, then lifelong difficulty swallowing. He lost much of the ability to prevent breathing food and liquids into his lungs when he intended to swallow. He lost weight due to fear of choking, and had limited ability to cough up aspirated food. This went from lifelong serious to life-threatening as he became elderly and after his wife died. Frightening to see.

My sister who lived nearby had said she would take him in when he couldn't take care of himself, but reneged saying his choking was too disturbing, she couldn't deal with that. So I continually came over the 100 miles to arrange daily caregiver visits etc. He loved this ranch and intended to die here.

Finally, quite weakened, the doctors cut a feeding tube into his belly and he lived on baby food he poured into a funnel. [Edit, added: at his 88th birthday he didn't renew his driver's license, he recognized he was a risk to others. Even though he lived in the country and this made him dependent on others.] After these events he said he was now a feebly-walking dead man and had no further interest in living. He discussed me taking him to Oregon where assisted suicide is legal. He died of a heart attack before this became a real plan.

I expect I would make that choice too if I end up in similar circumstances. I simply don't believe in the religious doctrine that says we have no right to make this choice for ourselves.