Why we will eventually move to the Philippines

[scott h]

1 hour ago, hk blues said:

no way the majority of Americans are paying north of $100k a year on residential care.   

I can only speak from our experience, but when my father went into a residential care facility, most, if not all of the cost was covered by his insurance plan, if memory serves it was about 6k USD a month. My sister took care of all the details but I clearly remember that she never raised an issue with the cost to my brother and I. Having said that, he had a really, really good insurance plan and not all will have that option.

[hk blues]

1 hour ago, Old55 said:

HK, I would only guess at numbers of in home elder care by family members. Would expect the numbers to be significant until skilled care is required.

Medicare may allow a basic care-provider that comes into your home infrequently in certain situations. Medicare also provides truly helpful advise and classes on home care. JJ would have much more knowledge in this regard.

 

9 minutes ago, Sea Turtle said:

Yes,  many do that.  Many end up alone in old age.  Very common that one or the other in a marriage end up taking care of the partner.

US has two major setups, Medicaid and Medicare.  Medicare is a system that old one sign up for and pay a small fee to get ok medical coverage.  Medicaid is a more complete system of coverage that is for any who qualify.  Qualifications can be complex but involve not having money.  Surprisingly robust services if one qualifies.     

Thanks guys.

Whilst the UK NHS is increasingly under fire but I'd like to hope that in times of dire need it steps up to the plate.  My father's health declined quickly in early January and he spent the last 3 months of his time in hospital full-time at no cost.  Had he recovered a little he'd have been sent to a residential home.  It's not necessarily free but payment is taken from the state pension and other income as much as possible - if there's no funds then it's provided free.  I think it's a satisfactory situation.  Of course, there are options for private care but in the UK it's less common and not really something most people consider.  

As to what the future holds for such a provision is anybody's guess.  

[JJReyes]

On 9/23/2023 at 3:15 PM, Mike J said:

I think this one would be worth checking out.

https://plantationbay.com/callhome/

Maybe this one?

https://web.facebook.com/SafehavenAssistedLivingPhilippines/?_rdc=1&_rdr

 

Thanks Mike.  I looked at their website and plan a visit while in Cebu.

[JJReyes]

On 9/23/2023 at 3:51 PM, BrettGC said:

In Australia the cost of residential health care is government regulated and capped at 85% of the aged pension.  This is for food, bed, cleaning, laundry and facilities management.  If you have income over and above the pension you pay more (means testing). Most health costs are covered under the Medicare system but elective procedures cost the user.  The system is open to corruption by the owners of the facilities and whilst not rife yet, it is increasing to the point where it prompted a Royal Commision.  Overcharging and withholding of services paid for are just two of the issues... Same as private prisons.

An Australian woman we know, married to a wealthy Filipino, had a mother with dementia at a nursing home near Sydney.  She was shocked at the sanitary conditions.  The linens change and room cleaning was every two weeks.  Food trays were left on room table the entire day.  The only entertainment and human contact was a television set left on all day and night.  The claim was understaffing due to difficulties in hiring workers.  Wanting to move her mother to another facility, our friend was told the situation was similar at other places.

[JJReyes]

5 hours ago, hk blues said:

So, based on the numbers in the OP, Americans work all their lives in order to be able to pay for 10 years in a care home.  If they're lucky.  

There must be other options open to Americans who cannot move to cheaper countries. 

Our friends in New York have expensive old age insurance to pay for custodial care.  A review of their policy revealed a paragraph that limited the care to just three years.  Most insurance companies no long offer this type of policy because it is not profitable.  

The main option for Americans is to die earlier.  I am not being cynical.  We are living longer due to improvements in nutrition and medical services.  When Social Security was first proposed, life expectancy for a factory worker was 65 years or about the time of his retirement.  The benefits were meant to support his wife and in the event the worker lived longer than expected.

[JJReyes]

4 hours ago, Old55 said:

In the US there are still are some family members willing to care for elderly or handicapped parents.

There are several innovative programs, including one in California.  They pay a husband, son, daughter or niece a monthly salary to take care of a bed ridden loved one.  My recollection is about $3,000 a month.  The difficulty is the application process.  Add to that the monthly paperwork requirement.  The state has inspector to do spot checks to make sure the family caregiver is always around or another family member.

[JJReyes]

2 hours ago, Old55 said:

HK, I would only guess at numbers of in home elder care by family members. Would expect the numbers to be significant until skilled care is required.

Medicare may allow a basic care-provider that comes into your home infrequently in certain situations. Medicare also provides truly helpful advise and classes on home care. JJ would have much more knowledge in this regard.

About 15 years ago, I did a project study about starting a farm-based retirement community in the Philippines.  My wife convinced me to abandon the project because we had enough resources.  There was no need for more stress.  My data is old, but still useful.  

One strategy employed by families was to take away all the assets and money from the elderly family member.  The idea was to make it a state problem who then placed the elderly in a contract, money making facility.  Let's just call them, "human warehousing" nursing homes.

[JJReyes]

2 hours ago, Old55 said:

Medicare may allow a basic care-provider that comes into your home infrequently in certain situations.

Medicare will cover the medical component of homecare, not custodial care.  Someone would come to the home to administer injections, make sure medications are taken and do routine physical exams.  

[Possum]

I agree with your decision to move to the Philippines with certain caveats. If one is simply declining as age takes over it may be a very good decision as the people are caring and compassionate. But if one ends up suffering from a painful disease or a dementia problem there are downsides. The medical system here is SERIOUSLY restricted in pain relief medications. My wife's sister died a very painful death because the family could not find one of the special doctors permitted to prescribe pain medications. Agitated seniors here cannot even get Xanax to help them relax in their later years while going thru dementia without searching for a doctor who can write on one of those yellow prescription pads and then one has to find a pharmacy that has the medicine. Something to think about.

[BrettGC]

10 hours ago, JJReyes said:

An Australian woman we know, married to a wealthy Filipino, had a mother with dementia at a nursing home near Sydney.  She was shocked at the sanitary conditions.  The linens change and room cleaning was every two weeks.  Food trays were left on room table the entire day.  The only entertainment and human contact was a television set left on all day and night.  The claim was understaffing due to difficulties in hiring workers.  Wanting to move her mother to another facility, our friend was told the situation was similar at other places.

I've visited various grandparents, aunts and uncles in aged care over the years and the majority are fine.  There are staff shortages in many though due to the low pay for the responsibility, hours and the challenge of working with in many cases, the infirm.  There are some dodgey operators though as well as staff.