My mom graciously let us use her home as a short-term, critical care step-down unit. All of the equipment I need was already there. It was plug-and-play.
We cared for Mom and Dad here for seven years as their health declined. Over that time we became familiar with the ins-and-outs of using the equipment and mobility aids. I make no claim to be a Certified Health Assistant BUT what I am going to talk about is not something you should rush into "cold".
I was curious what the level of care I am currently receiving would cost on the open market and what it would cost to replicate in a home...say one in Eaton Rapids.
The cost of short-term, critical care step-down in Michigan, in a corporate setting is currently $9000 a month or $300 a day.
Extras cost extra. I have the equivalent of a full-time, 24-7 health aide who would run another $500 to $1000 a day. That is not what the aides would get paid because the facility has to fold in overhead.
The care I am receiving is vastly superior to the care my Mom is getting. Due to the shortage of workers, the diet is heavy on deep-fat fried mystery-meat patties, dried mashed potatoes and canned gravy.
Another thing is that I don't have to listen to commercial TV. You cannot escape it in Mom's complex. Nor the other residents who believe that shouting is a more effective way of getting a CNA's attention than hitting the call button.
And my "nurse" is beautiful and charming.
Cost to replicate
IF (and it is a big IF) you have a loved one who is in position to give you care, and wants to spend that much time with you the following items cost the following amounts:
Hospital Bed: $900 or three nights at the average cost
Lift Chair: $900 or three nights
Medical walker + stand-alone commode + transport chair: $40 + $120 +$120 or another night.
So in Michigan, the cost of setting up to provide those services (using all new equipment) is the same as one week in a facility.
One of the concerns that is often bandied about is that the Deep State could cut off people they don't like from health services. It is more accurate to say that they could cut us off from insurance reimbursements and from admission to official, registered sources of assisted living...but as long as somebody loves you and has enough money to buy a used car, then you can still get care.
I think we'll all be "taking care of our own" in the days to come.
ReplyDeleteMy father lives in West Va. in Martinsburg (near Northern Va.) He recently fell and needed hip replacement. 21 days at an in-patient rehab facility were covered 100% by tri-care/medicaid. 2 beds to a room, 1 nurse for 4 rooms.
ReplyDeleteNow he has been discharged from facility and getting 24/7 in-home help. Home health aides I believe (whatever that certification is worth). They are doing a million times better than him being in the home. Unfortunately its a luxury at ~700/day...
Can't take it with you!
ERJ - For my parents in their assisted living facility, it runs around $7,000 each. That is for 24 hour care and assistance with basic living.
ReplyDeleteThe Mrs. spent a lot a of time taking care of her mother - which was (I think) preferable for all that she could do that.
ReplyDeleteOne other thought, and that is the cost of regulation. The regulations that go along with assisted care are unbelievable and constitute literal volumes and volumes (or for the computer literate megabyte after megabyte) of confusing and often contradictory guidelines and regulations and rules and recommendations which must be followed at all times, whether the patient needs or desires said rules and regulations or not. People are employed in these institutions full-time and never touch a human being, all they do is shuffle paper, deal with regulators, and try to keep the place open. What isn’t regulated by local government is regulated by the state and if the state doesn’t cover it it’s regulated by the feds. Add the fact that all regulations are subject to change at any point in time and hospital administrators or care home administrators are required to know of these changes immediately and implement them immediately, as the recent Covid debacle was quick to highlight. So when you’re figuring out the cost it turns out that the actual physical care is far far less than keeping up with the local bureaucrats. A sad state of affairs…Mongo
ReplyDeleteAvoid nursing homes like the plague... literally, thanks to murderous evil Democrat governors, Whitman, Wolfe, et al.
ReplyDeleteOrdering Covid infected patients into our most fragile and vulnerable population rises to the level of criminality.
Aint it funny that Richard (Rachel?!?l Levine removed his mom to a hotel before Wolfie ordered the nursing homes to accept covid patients.
No, not funny, evidence of malicious intent.