Daughter Thinks I’d Like Senior Home Living

Right Now said:
I saw that same show. It cost about $30,000 a year to live in that environment.

What do you give up by settling for this lifestyle? Here are a few losses.....
Retiring in a community of life long friends who boost you up on the days you need a friend. Lunches out with a buddy who knows you and your family who can give advice when you ask for it. No familiar downtown, churches, small business owners to greet you. No family around, no day trips with a buddy who know your taste in clothes to help you decide on just the right dress....

Yes, if you don't want familiar faces at your dinner table, don't want friends who genuinely care about you and your mental well being, if you want to be adrift for the remainder of your life (no pun intended), then a cruise ship is exactly the place for you. A life among strangers.

You couldn't gift it to me wrapped in a bright red bow.
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Some of us are adrift for the rest of our lives, whether we like it or not. On a cruise ship, you'd become familiar with the ship itself, and some of the people who worked on it. Meanwhile, you'd go to some fantastic places and meet a rotation of interesting people. I lived on the same property as (and finally in) a hostel/guesthouse for many years, and it suited me well until the pandemic.

If I had $30,000 a year, would I die of boredom in an apartment or small house, or live on a cruise ship? 🤔😄
 
The one thing I would never want to do is live with one of my children. I get along with all of them but I do not fool myself into thinking that would be the case if I was living in their home or one of them was living in mine.

So, knowing that about myself, it's time to do my research to see how this old age thing is going to play out. 🤨
 
Jules said:
I wasn’t writing this thread only about myself. I was wondering if others knew what their families thought they wanted. No, I didn’t say that clearly in the OP.
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That's OK. I'll say my family has never known me or what I wanted. Yet I'd hear the BS crap from my mother "I only want what's best for you." Yeah bleep that.

Anyway, it can be hard to make that decision. I drive by an assisted living place down the road from me almost daily. I don't know, those places are very, very expensive. Must be big money makers for the investors as staff is pretty low.

Don't let anyone tell you what is best for you. Direct relative or not. Decisions can be very hard to make. But try to make what you want.
 
At 78 years, I am in the same house for 40 years, able to walk 3+ miles/day (reason for a dog), cook healthy meals (ie no fast foods), fairly clean/clutter free house. In the past 2 months, my daughter organized grocery delivery once/week; she suggested meal delivery in the future which I MIGHT BE opened to.

I have a "granny suite aka basement suite" which is rented to International Students attending University. (I prefer International Students as I learn "first" hand about their country/lifestyle and often they will cook an extra special meal so share.)
 
Senior communities come in 57 varieties, people come in even more varieties. Choosing a place requires a great deal of research. Some focus activities and amenities, others focus on health care. In others you can gradually transition from one to the other.

Many will give you a tour including lunch so you can see what you are getting into.
 
We touched base with a 78-year-old widower we know who moved into a senior living facility under pressure from his son who realized that his father was floundering badly after his wife died. He and his wife originally lived in our neighborhood and were doing pretty well until their health began to fail. First, they moved into a house in an over 55 community where the outside grounds were taken care of, and they had access to a community pool. They didn't really enjoy it there, but we knew them to be chronic complainers anyway.

When her health finally took her, he really floundered. Finally, after a couple of years his son persuaded him to move to a senior living facility in Kentucky closer to family.

I thought he would hate it, but he has thrived. The food is wonderful, the apartment is great, and he loves his neighbors, the surrounding area and the services.

I kept waiting for the complaint, and it finally came. LOL, he was disappointed that no one in the complex played chess. Otherwise, he was quite happy.
 
hearlady said:
I think that got popular after a Sunday morning type show featured a woman who did just that. She had a great retirement. Travel, food, medical, call taken care of and the price was ok as part of a cruise package.
I always wondered how that turned out for the cruise ships and if they had to change policies or accept it as a win win.
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Here's the downside:
As long as you are in the "active" phase of retirement, living on a ship is fine.

But become disabled, or develop a serious condition? Better investigate the fine print. I don't believe they will handle the seriously ill elderly. You'll also find this problem in many asst living and many senior living facilities. They do not have the staff nor the legal certification to take care of those who need Skilled Care Nursing.

Also keep in mind: Medicare AND regular insurers have limited or NO coverage if you are not residing in the US.

Medicare doesn't cover health care services you get when the ship is more than 6 hours away from a U.S. port. Your regular health insurance likely won't cover you, either. Serious medical emergencies may require a medical evacuation, which can mean being airlifted off the ship to the nearest hospital.* If you require medical assistance on a cruise, you may need to pay your medical bills immediately. In serious cases, you may need to pay for medical evacuation from your ship.

From a quick Googling, it looks like only Royal Caribbean offers more advanced medical options that can handle heart attacks, severe hemorrhages, and respiratory failure, although as noted above you will be billed for such care, especially if it is not during standard working hours when the infirmary is usually open.

* Being airlifted off a cruise usually costs at least $20,000 and this can rise into the hundreds of thousands depending on location and other factors.
 
There are all sorts of living arrangements for seniors these days. I have written here many times about my "55 and older" community. It's not a "home," and is for independent living only. If anyone needs any kind of care, they have to get their own health care worker, or whatever. This is totally different from the stereotypical nursing home environment needed by people who are more or less helpless on their own.

The only thing "senior" about it is the age requirement. Aside from that, it's like any other community built around a golf course, with two clubhouses and umpteen activities, clubs, and interest groups. A lot of the fun stuff came to a halt when Covid started (like everywhere else) but pretty much everything has resumed by now.

There are lots of these senior communities opening up lately in this area. I don't know what options you have in BC, but probably you should look around and see what's there. There really is no such thing as "these places;" those days are long gone.
 
NorthernLight said:
Some of us are adrift for the rest of our lives, whether we like it or not. On a cruise ship, you'd become familiar with the ship itself, and some of the people who worked on it. Meanwhile, you'd go to some fantastic places and meet a rotation of interesting people. I lived on the same property as (and finally in) a hostel/guesthouse for many years, and it suited me well until the pandemic.

If I had $30,000 a year, would I die of boredom in an apartment or small house, or live on a cruise ship? 🤔😄
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I understand what you are saying, @NorthernLight. If you don't have friends near your home, nor mingle much, then perhaps you'd be more comfortable with acquaintances instead of friends on that cruise ship. Each to their own choices, thank goodness. If you ever get that extra cash, you can decide then.;)
 

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