S08.E08: Nursing Homes

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Main topic:  Nursing Homes and Long Term Care 

Also: Fuckable vs. unfuckable plates; Prince Phillip; Rep. Matt Gaetz sex trafficking allegations; US refugee admissions program; greatest questions ever asked on Yahoo answers

Original air date 2021.04.11

[Annber03]

So...is there anything left in this freaking country that isn't a for-profit anymore? Good god. I sympathize with the women who were taking care of their husband/father at home-my mom and I had to do the same thing with my dad. In our case, it was because we literally could not afford any outside care to help with him. So basically, people's options are either to try and take care of a loved one on their own, despite the fact they have absolutely no experience doing such a thing, or send them to nursing facilities that may or may not take care of them the way they're supposed to. What a choice. The homeless man who was kicked out and the woman who was killed by an alligator...that's just beyond fucking horrifying. 

And yeah, after all the horror stories I've heard about nursing homes over the years, it makes me wary whenever I see ads for them nowadays. The proposed changes that this administration's looking at sound very promising, though, so yes, let's hope that something good comes of that. Get that and the refugee changes John was discussing done and .we can add that to our list of good changes associated with this administration. 

As for other topics, I am all for hearing about Gaetz going to trial/jail as soon as humanly possible. That guy would make a fantastic subject for an episode of "Dateline", given he's stupid enough to make his financial transactions that blatantly obvious. 

"Why wasn't I born an octopus?" I mean, haven't we all asked ourselves that question at some point XD? That list of questions was truly amazing. 

[paigow]

32 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

And yeah, after all the horror stories I've heard about nursing homes over the years, it makes me wary whenever I see ads for them nowadays. The proposed changes that this administration's looking at sound very promising, though, so yes, let's hope that something good comes of that. Get that and the refugee changes John was discussing done and .we can add that to our list of good changes associated with this administration. 

With all the deal making needed to pass something through Congress- the refugees will be forced to live in private nursing homes...

[ahisma]

Truly, all I want to hear about Matt Gaetz anymore: “I’m sure there’ll be a lot more to say about it when he goes to prison.”

When John said he was going to cover nursing homes and assisted living centers, I thought, “Rats, I wanted to hear more about home-based care.” And he covered that too! The VA has been moving in the right direction on that, and I’m glad Biden wants funding for it, too.

Of course John bought the Wolf plate. Of course he did!

Edited April 12, 2021 by ahisma
autocorrect

[swanpride]

1 hour ago, Annber03 said:

So...is there anything left in this freaking country that isn't a for-profit anymore?

No. The US is in late stage capitalism. I am pretty sure there is someone trying to patent air out there.

The thing with Phillip and Elizabeth being cousins was kind of overstated. They are related to each other the same way a lot of royals are. In their case, they are both related to Queen Victoria which is basically true for a lot of royals (considering that Victoria had nine children). So, yeah, they are related, but the connection is over their great-grandparents, which most people wouldn't exactly consider as still related at all.

[swanpride]

Oh, just remembered: I assume that people who take care of their loved one at home don't get any money for it from the state? Because that's what happening in Germany, if you are the full time carer of someone, you can actually claim money for it.

[Robert Lynch]

I never knew anything about the refugee situation. You learn something everyday.

[ahisma]

4 hours ago, swanpride said:

I assume that people who take care of their loved one at home don't get any money for it from the state?

That is usually the case. The Department of Veterans Affairs pays a monthly stipend to family caregivers for disabled veterans, but there’s not a program for regular citizens with family caregivers.

[paigow]

5 hours ago, swanpride said:

Oh, just remembered: I assume that people who take care of their loved one at home don't get any money for it from the state? Because that's what happening in Germany, if you are the full time carer of someone, you can actually claim money for it.

In Canada, the caregiver gets a federal tax credit instead of cash

[swanpride]

….which is utterly useless if you are already stripped for cash. Honestly, if a tax credit would do anything for you, you would most likely be able to afford a care home….

I was aware that regarding the Refugees, Biden has been all talk so far.

[lynxfx]

11 hours ago, swanpride said:

Oh, just remembered: I assume that people who take care of their loved one at home don't get any money for it from the state? Because that's what happening in Germany, if you are the full time carer of someone, you can actually claim money for it.

I recently became disabled and my wife is helping me out the most as I can no longer work. I looked into assisted living pay in my state and the only person that isn't eligible for pay is your spouse. Parents, kids, friends, anyone else can be paid by the government, but not your spouse. 

[peeayebee]

2 hours ago, swanpride said:

I was aware that regarding the Refugees, Biden has been all talk so far.

I want to know why. I believe him to be a very moral man who is determined to do the right thing. What's going on here?

The whole nursing home/assisted living story was maddening and depressing. I keep living in fairy land, wishing that people would do the right thing and forget becoming millionaires so they provide good care for those who need it. 

Loved the Yahoo Answers segments. A much needed laugh.

[paigow]

There were 2 yahoo segments. How much stuff was cut out? Like deleted scenes from the Avengers, there might be a whole DVD box set of idiotic queries....

[Popples]

When the Matt Gaetz scandal broke, after the initial wave of shock wore off, the only thing I wanted was for John to take the piss out of him using Venmo and he did not disappoint.

The nursing home stuff didn't surprise me because my family just went through this frustrating nightmare with my grandfather.

[swanpride]

Honestly, I had a hard time laughing about the Yahoo segment. Because I am honestly convinced that there aren't any stupid questions in the world. People need to ask to learn, and if they end up asking a question about something which sounds obvious for us, then the right reaction is to explain, not to laugh about it.

I admit though, I didn't expect to hear "eaten alive by and alligator" as part of the nursing homes story. I mean..wtf? I am actually not sure how to react to that one.

 

[Victor the Crab]

That sure was a depressing show. I hope I never reach the point where I need help!

[PrincessPurrsALot]

It was depressing but another instance of this comedy show raising awareness of a critical issue.  My brother was in a care facility for the last five years of his life.  So many games had to be played to keep him there.  There is no possible way we could have cared for him at home without full time attendants. We were lucky that the folks at the facility really liked him.  Even though he had major physical and psychological issues, he was always very grateful for the care he received.  The home switched hands and care went downhill.  Staffing was cut to the bone.  The remaining staff was as frustrated as the folks shown on LWT.  They wanted to do a good job but were stretched so thin.

My brother did get OT and PT even though he was never going to be able to live on his own again.  Yes, it was a way to get more money for care.  At the same time, it lifted his spirits and gave him something to do other than lie in bed all day.  The home also had to keep switching him between medicare and medicaid and was careful to let us know if the money in his account ever got close to $2500.  That's the limit in my state to qualify for full aid.  So when John said you have to be indigent, he meant it.  Officially all assets combined need to be less than $2500.  The people at the home also fought to keep him when they switched to more short term care for better income.  If he lost that placement, there really was no place that would take him.  It is very difficult to get a spot if you need a high level of care. 

The good news is John found a very fuckable plate.  Between his new plate and his two Nic Cage pillows, he's in for a wild ride! 

[peeayebee]

Oh my gosh, PrincessPurrsALot, what an incredible, frustrating story. I know you're all glad that the home was looking out for your brother, because obviously not everyone is that lucky.

So far I have not had to deal with nursing homes or assisted living facilities. My parents are both deceased, and I have no extended family living in America. But my siblings and I are getting up in age, and I'm getting more and more nervous about our futures. 

[kirkola]

On 4/13/2021 at 1:04 AM, swanpride said:

Honestly, I had a hard time laughing about the Yahoo segment. Because I am honestly convinced that there aren't any stupid questions in the world. People need to ask to learn, and if they end up asking a question about something which sounds obvious for us, then the right reaction is to explain, not to laugh about it.

I admit though, I didn't expect to hear "eaten alive by and alligator" as part of the nursing homes story. I mean..wtf? I am actually not sure how to react to that one.

 

My initial response to the alligator story was "at least it's not in Florida, so we don't have to worry about her getting eaten by an alligator."  Imagine my shock when it ended with her getting eaten. 

Also, to be fair to Florida, alligators aren't stalking residents.  But every Florida resident knows that if there is a body of water, chances are better than average that an alligator lives in it.  When I was growing up, a local business built a retention pond, surrounded by a fence.   So picture a small pool with a concrete bottom, surrounded on all sides by a chainlink fence to keep kids out.  An alligator was discovered in it.  The working theory is that a bird caught a baby alligator and then dropped it while flying over the pond.  But I wouldn't put it past the alligator having climbed the fence because it was there.

So, I'm always shocked to hear alligator stories that don't involve Florida.  Apparently South Carolina has 'gator problems now.

[purist]

'How is babby formed?' is truly one of the greatest contributions Yahoo Answers made to the world.

[andromeda331]

Good epsiode. I really wish I could be surprised by it but I'm not. Even before learning how shockly bad nursing homes were handling the pandemic. I knew too many bad ones. My mom was in one after one of her strokes and would have died if my dad hadn't been visiting when she had another stroke. She came home after that and my dad did his best to be a caretake to her and me. I did the best I could to be to help but had limitations due to my own medical problems. It was really hard. One of my mom's friends' mother was in a bad one. I know not all are bad my grandfather was in a really good one. So many are understaffed and over worked. 

[Lantern7]

Yes, that was a depressing episode. It does help to be informed about the plight found in nursing homes, even when the fun stuff mixed in . . . like the shot of an older John hosting LWT. Turns out he’ll be back in The Void. SPIDERS. Hopefully, he’ll still have the wolf plate.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

On 4/16/2021 at 1:51 AM, purist said:

'How is babby formed?' is truly one of the greatest contributions Yahoo Answers made to the world.

If "What is that one movie where jidnsey lohan switched bodies with jamie lee curtis NOT FREAKY FRIDAY the other one.?" isn't art, then I don't know what is.

[Avaleigh]

This episode hit home for me because I currently work at a retirement community for active seniors. Our facility is different because it isn't considered to be "assisted living". Essentially, it's a place for seniors who no longer want the responsibility of owning a home and want more free time to focus on the things they enjoy. Most of the residents have personal aids or helpers and most of them are in reasonably good health even though all but maybe five or six are over the age of eighty. (Our oldest resident is 99 and she doesn't even have an aid! An extraordinarily kind woman who has been blessed with good health.)

The catch of course is that it's super expensive to live there. For singles the place costs just under ten grand a month and for couples even more. It's a lot but I can see why the people who can afford it decide that it's the right choice for them. They live in beautiful apartments and the place is basically run like a hotel so they don't have to worry about doing laundry or cooking or cleaning, or driving (but can do all of the above if they choose.) Most take the services offered because they're included. They have lots of activities so there's something for everyone. Exercise with trainers including daily yoga and one on one sessions, biweekly educational lectures on various subjects, hot topic discussions every morning and afternoon with a moderator for those who wish to participate, biweekly movie screenings in a theater on the premises, two book clubs, live music entertainment twice a week, daily game afternoon, two separate restaurants on the premises including the option of room service if they prefer, etc.  

It's definitely a nice option for the seniors who can afford it but there are catches apart from the financial. Since they aren't assisted living, if there is a major decline in their health (those with increased dementia for example), then they sometimes have to be moved to a sister facility that is assisted living for long term care. (Or they go to a relative who will care for them or a different facility altogether.) Once that happens there's a huge difference in the level of care. The sister facility is perpetually understaffed and there's a decline in pretty much everything else. Food, rooms, care, comfort and overall lack of personal autonomy and independence being some of the chief complaints. Say a person argues about the quality of their food that day or are unhappy about something else, a member of staff might very likely call for assistance if the person continues to push whatever the issue is. The person will then end up being escorted back to their room whether they like it or not.

The seniors in the community where I work all agree that they will do everything in their power to not go to that sister facility even though it's run by the same company and is one of the "nicer" assisted living options. It's also interesting (and unfortunate) that the people who are in better health are getting more care and attention than the people who are dealing with declining health, both mental and physical. 

One other notable catch regarding this community and (I imagine) others like it? It's weirdly like high school in terms of the social hierarchy. There are the popular mean girls who don't want certain people sitting at their table. There are a handful of popular guys (naturally the women outnumber the men so the women often pounce on a single male new arrival), there's the friendly, unpretentious b group, there are outcasts, some outgoing couples and a few couples who keep to themselves. Even a couple of mother son duos. (Real drama there lol.) Can you imagine though, living your life for x amount of years and then suddenly being back in a high school environment where people care about what you wear, your overall appearance, they know all of your business, they judge you on how successful your children are, how often relatives come to see you, whether or not you show up to activities or maybe had a drink during happy hour. They openly and unapologetically judge each other on all kinds of stuff. I can't imagine putting up with that sort of thing at their age. 

Edited April 22, 2021 by Avaleigh

[paigow]

1 hour ago, Avaleigh said:

They openly and unapologetically judge each other on all kinds of stuff. I can't imagine putting up with that sort or thing at their age. 

Several years ago when ED drugs such as Viagara were launched, the incidence of STD / VD among seniors skyrocketed. Did your facility experience this? 

[Avaleigh]

3 minutes ago, paigow said:

Several years ago when ED drugs such as Viagara were launched, the incidence of STD / VD among seniors skyrocketed. Did your facility experience this? 

I've only been there since September of last year but I haven't heard any talk or seen any evidence of STDs being an issue in the community. A few issues with alcoholism and some issues with self medicating. Also, a few who don't always take their medication when they know they need to. The majority though live pretty healthy lifestyles which is probably a big part of why they've made it to the ages they've made it to. The average person there doesn't drink at all (probably one of the reasons they're judgemental about the ones who do.) Also not very many people with weight issues. 

Another thing to consider is the COVID restrictions have been in place the entire time I've been there so most of the residents are practicing social distancing. They've all been vaccinated of course but the precautions are still in place. It hasn't stopped people from getting their flirt on though lol.