S10.E02: Thore Family Values

[Meow Mix]

Yes, I live in the area and would not want to commute from Greensboro to Raleigh every day because the traffic on I-40 is miserable.  I am not sure Glen is doing it every day or just a couple times a week since remote work is a thing for a lot of us now.  As for Whitney commution to Charlotte, my understanding is that she only went once a week, not every day.

[Mothra]

23 hours ago, Meow Mix said:

@SunnyBeBe thank you.  I really get frustrated with people here saying that Glen should just retire and become Babs's caregiver.  Caring for an elderly person who may have serious mobility issues in the home is very complicated.  There are a lot of questions to be answered including the overall accessibility of the house, how much mobility Babs has (can she transfer, go to the bathroom on her onw, etc.), as well as what Babs herself wants.  As for Glen retiring, i am not sure what his hesitancy is, but it is ultimately his decision in consultation with Babs.  It is none of Whitney's business and she needs to stop with the attitude that his work is unimportant.  

As far as finances, none of this is free.  Most workplaces won't cover a good Medicare supplemental policy and those are pretty expensive.  Then you have to get a prescription plan as well.  And don't consider Advantage because while it looks cheaper on the surface, you can easily get nailed on in network vs. out of network issues.  I have a few years before Medicare and I already know I will avoid Advantage like the plague.  So, Glen may be concerned and want Babs to have the best care which means he keeps working.  Even if Whitney is making a lot of money from the show, it seems to me that she spends it as quickly as she gets it.  After every season, she is either doing some unnecessary stuff on the house, getting cosmetic procedures, or traveling.  For example, she went back to Europe after her supposed engagement to Chase and blew lots of money on expensive hotels.  

Finally, I was struck by Hunter's statement that he has to stay strong because Whitney, the supposed strength of the family, is always needing attention.  He keeps his feelings to himself because he doesn't want to add to his parents' burdens with Whitney.  That is very sad.  He needs to be able to move on and have a real adult life.

Everything you say is absolutely true.  Taking care of a medically-needy (and we really don't know Babs' current condition, and no one can predict how long she will be able to do for herself whatever she is able to at this moment--she's had two strokes, and they all must live in fear of the next one, or ones; the American Heart Association says that one in four people who have a stroke will have a second one, and Babs has already had two) is extremely expensive, no matter how willing and able family members are to help out.  At some point, which may be sooner than anyone expects, she is going to need some level of skilled nursing care (an IV to keep her hydrated, for instance), and that doesn't come cheap.  Care in the home is much more expensive that care in a facility, and no one wants to put a loved one in a nursing or even assisted living facility until there's no other choice.

They probably do have excellent health insurance, and investment income, and Glen surely has a pension (you young folks have likely never heard of that wonderful thing) because he started working so long ago.  It's probable that they do have enough money to take care of Babs at home, but that doesn't lessen Glen's worries.  I think the fact that he is willing to continue such a vicious commute speaks not to a reluctance to stop working but to a fear of cutting off an income stream which he feels might stand between Babs and the poorhouse.

[Colleenna]

18 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

I didn't realize they were that far apart either.  I wonder if there is any way Glen could work from home part time?

Depending on what his management function is,  he might be able to.  Something tells me that he will cave to Tantrum Child and retire.  He may not function as Babs's caregiver,  but retire nonetheless.