Its funny how you would not burden your children...Im a nursing assistant & its hard hard work. Its alot for $12-15 an hour when we have to take care of you physically & many times emotionally. Many times Im not appreciated or thanked for my care & its very strange how the patients dont disrespect the doctors or nurses but love to cross lines with the very people that care for them. Thats why the high turn over. You both seem to have a good head on your shoulders Just never forget to respect to be respected...
If caregivers got better pay, I wonder what the facility would charge for care?
Sorry to see that our older, many unhealthy people are care burdens on society. It would be easier to see euthanasia like it is for dogs to eliminate suffering. Unfortunately, it is against the law for that option.
I wonder what it will be like living in a care facility for myself someday. I am looking for a CCRC where I can age in place and hope to be independent as long as possible. Both my parents lived into their nineties.
As a retired clinical nutrition staff employee…yes high turnover was common for the 30 yrs I worked in NH, AL and dementia units. Pay is low and now fast food pay has increased to equal to or exceeds a cna entry pay. A person has to see the CNA job as a career vs a job…trust me very few see it that way. Most facilities are using agency staff and they change facilities frequently. In my opinion this is a bad thing…my moms AL unit has a “career” cna but when she is off staff changes constantly. On her days off moms care is not as good…adequate but not great.
I think in all group homes and facilities they are experiencing high turn over of staffing. I see it in my job as a case manager for people with intellectual disabilities and even at my mothers assisted living facility. It is concerning although it’s across the board but there isn’t much to do :(
Thank you for the input. I realize that Zurich is neither inexpensive nor easy (I've looked into it), but the $20,000+ it would cost for one is small compared to $80-$100,000+ every YEAR if I end up in a NH or ALF (X2 if we both do). Who except the extremely wealthy can afford that for long? I would also consider VSED as a possible option as long as I remain "competent" and could find the necessary medical support. MAiD is legal in our state, but there are SO many restrictions, including that the requester must be expected to die within 6 months.
I will speak solely for myself here, although my spouse shares most, if not quite all, of my views. I have already made as clear as I possibly can, in writing, that I do not want any "heroic measures" taken to keep me alive should I acquire a life-destroying illness or disability--no CPR, no feeding tubes, no ventilators, no pacemakers, no surgery. Being tethered to machines in an ICU is absolutely not my idea of a peaceful death. I have no desire for continued existence if I can no longer care for my own basic personal needs. Comfort care--period. I can only hope that my wishes will be followed.
While I may be envious of 100 Y/Os who are still high functioning, I fear that I will not be one of them. I am already experiencing significant chronic pain and encroaching physical limitations. I am still able to grocery shop, do the laundry, care for our 13 Y/O cat and keep up our home (with twice-monthly housecleaning and other occasional help) but for how long? I worry about what-ifs a lot, although I know that worrying won't help. I checked out several local "facilities" some years ago. I wasn't at all impressed but, before becoming a burden on my family, I would seriously consider that option and hope my funds would last as long as I did.
Lots of things to worry about regarding our own future care, aren't there?! Many times something happens that we never expected ahead of time. I'm many of us on this forum share your concerns. It would be wonderful if pay and working conditions for Health Care workers improved enough to attract more skillfull, caring people to that work.
There are probably many reasons for the high turnover. Mostly that it's hard work. The former director at the assisted living facility where my mom was told me she quit because of the corporation's new policies. She was the professional, a caregiver and nutritionist for 20 years, and the new owners knew nothing about elder care. The facility was once private and is now owned by a corporation that bought up several other businesses in my small city. I could go on an on about how they've ruined all of their acquired businesses, but I won't. I see this corporate take over as a really bad sign for our future. Money made at the top and everyone else has to work hard for little pay.
Always high turnover because the pay is so low for the job. Cost of living is so high where I live that people can't survive on what they offer. I don't see how it will ever change as the privately owned companies focus only on profits and Medicaid can't afford to pay more per patient/person. As people are living longer and more caregivers are needed, this problem will continue to grow.
My mother is in a SNF and ever time I visit, I see a new face (and miss an old one). Saying that, everyone has always been kind and caring towards my mother. For me, this issue isn't turnover of staff, it is the number of caregivers as they are always short-staffed.
There is a fascinating article in Haven Senior Investments on assisted living facilities. According to the article, the U. S. will need nearly one million new senior living units by the year 2040. (havenseniorinvestments.com)
People are living longer! People older than 85 are estimated to double by 2036 and triple by 2049.
That’s a lot of job openings for caregivers! It’s an incredible opportunity for investors.
Wow! That many elders needing help? Yikes!!! I hope there will be robots to help with the caregiving tasks by then. Can't see how there will be enough human caregivers to fill the need.
I have seen a high turnover. They are always hiring new employees because of people leaving their positions. It’s hard work and low pay.
Let’s be honest, caring for the elderly is big business! The only people who are making money are the business owners. Lots of investors are cashing in!
More and more assisted living facilities are popping up. According to an article in written in April 2023, by Definitive Healthcare (difinitivehc.com) there are more than 33,000 assisted living facilities across our country.
The five largest cities for assisted living facilities are:
California - 5,808
Michigan - 3213
Wisconsin - 2859
Florida - 2524
Texas - 1612
The cities with the least amount of assisted living facilities are:
Hawaii - 18
Wyoming - 32
Delaware - 34
Rhode Island - 62
North Dakota - 84
Texas, California and Ohio have the most skilled nursing facilities.
Of course, there are also many agencies that supply health care for those who desire to ‘age in place’ in their homes.
I'm a potential care receiver, but I've learned a lot from this Forum. I guess I was somewhat naive in my 60s-70s not to have foreseen/prepared for these 3 things. That: (1) I, now 86, (and my spouse, now 93) would live as long as we have--which neither of us expected, intended or wanted!; (2) inflation would be as high as it is; (3) there is almost no reliable help to be hired for any price that middle-class older adults on a moderate fixed income can afford.
I just will NOT burden our adult child(ren) with our care, so I need to figure something out. So far, we're managing on our own with a twice-monthly housecleaner and occasional yard and home maintenance workers, but after following this Forum for a while, I'm good and scared about what the future holds. We just got notified by our long-term care insurer that we have "options": to continue our current, good coverage but at ever-increasing and potentially unaffordable premiums, or accept a lower or zero premium "buyout" that would maybe cover a year or two of NH or ALF care for ONE of us. We've been paying into this for 25 years! I feel cheated, but it is what it is. We saved as much as we could and tried to prepare for our older years, but . . . here we are.
At this point I'm NO fan of longevity! We have all our legal paperwork in order (wills, POAs, healthcare directives, POLSTs). No passports, though, which would be necessary for a visit to Zurich. . .
Thank you for telling the story of many people. So very true!
My mom lived to be 95, my uncle, mom’s brother lived to be 96. My great aunts lived into their late 90’s.
My cousin is now 100, still dresses very stylishly and drives to church, the grocery, the dollar store, her exercise class, Walmart and lunch with her friends. She cooks and cleans her apartment and helps her neighbors in her independent living apartment. Oh, and she will tell me about her travel plans for next year! LOL 😆
I truly hope that I don’t inherit the longevity on my mother’s side of the family!
Old age is fine for people like my cousin who don’t have any major health issues and enough money to live comfortably. People who are burdened with health issues and financial difficulties feel stressed and don’t want the burden of a long life.
My dad died at 85.
Mom had Parkinson’s disease. When people would tell her that she would live to be 100, her answer would be, “Oh, God. I hope not!”
Oft times jobs in LTC are both taxing and poorly paid. It is said that there are many more in the aging community needing help, many more long term care facilities, and jobs just now seem plentiful in all areas of working. What was once sort of a norm is becoming in some places an emergency from what I hear. I DO think that terrific facilities, those that are well staffed and pay a bit more, those encouraging a staff to sees elder care as a vocation, keep staff more readily than others.
Overall I believe your surmise is correct. It's currently tough to keep staff. This isn't just in elder care. In my own neighborhood I see shops of all kinds closing because they cannot keep staff.
Sorry to see that our older, many unhealthy people are care burdens on society. It would be easier to see euthanasia like it is for dogs to eliminate suffering. Unfortunately, it is against the law for that option.
I wonder what it will be like living in a care facility for myself someday. I am looking for a CCRC where I can age in place and hope to be independent as long as possible. Both my parents lived into their nineties.
I will speak solely for myself here, although my spouse shares most, if not quite all, of my views. I have already made as clear as I possibly can, in writing, that I do not want any "heroic measures" taken to keep me alive should I acquire a life-destroying illness or disability--no CPR, no feeding tubes, no ventilators, no pacemakers, no surgery. Being tethered to machines in an ICU is absolutely not my idea of a peaceful death. I have no desire for continued existence if I can no longer care for my own basic personal needs. Comfort care--period. I can only hope that my wishes will be followed.
While I may be envious of 100 Y/Os who are still high functioning, I fear that I will not be one of them. I am already experiencing significant chronic pain and encroaching physical limitations. I am still able to grocery shop, do the laundry, care for our 13 Y/O cat and keep up our home (with twice-monthly housecleaning and other occasional help) but for how long? I worry about what-ifs a lot, although I know that worrying won't help. I checked out several local "facilities" some years ago. I wasn't at all impressed but, before becoming a burden on my family, I would seriously consider that option and hope my funds would last as long as I did.
My mother is in a SNF and ever time I visit, I see a new face (and miss an old one). Saying that, everyone has always been kind and caring towards my mother. For me, this issue isn't turnover of staff, it is the number of caregivers as they are always short-staffed.
People are living longer! People older than 85 are estimated to double by 2036 and triple by 2049.
That’s a lot of job openings for caregivers! It’s an incredible opportunity for investors.
Let’s be honest, caring for the elderly is big business! The only people who are making money are the business owners. Lots of investors are cashing in!
More and more assisted living facilities are popping up. According to an article in written in April 2023, by Definitive Healthcare (difinitivehc.com) there are more than 33,000 assisted living facilities across our country.
The five largest cities for assisted living facilities are:
California - 5,808
Michigan - 3213
Wisconsin - 2859
Florida - 2524
Texas - 1612
The cities with the least amount of assisted living facilities are:
Hawaii - 18
Wyoming - 32
Delaware - 34
Rhode Island - 62
North Dakota - 84
Texas, California and Ohio have the most skilled nursing facilities.
Of course, there are also many agencies that supply health care for those who desire to ‘age in place’ in their homes.
Yes, quite a range.
I just will NOT burden our adult child(ren) with our care, so I need to figure something out. So far, we're managing on our own with a twice-monthly housecleaner and occasional yard and home maintenance workers, but after following this Forum for a while, I'm good and scared about what the future holds. We just got notified by our long-term care insurer that we have "options": to continue our current, good coverage but at ever-increasing and potentially unaffordable premiums, or accept a lower or zero premium "buyout" that would maybe cover a year or two of NH or ALF care for ONE of us. We've been paying into this for 25 years! I feel cheated, but it is what it is. We saved as much as we could and tried to prepare for our older years, but . . . here we are.
At this point I'm NO fan of longevity! We have all our legal paperwork in order (wills, POAs, healthcare directives, POLSTs). No passports, though, which would be necessary for a visit to Zurich. . .
My mom lived to be 95, my uncle, mom’s brother lived to be 96. My great aunts lived into their late 90’s.
My cousin is now 100, still dresses very stylishly and drives to church, the grocery, the dollar store, her exercise class, Walmart and lunch with her friends. She cooks and cleans her apartment and helps her neighbors in her independent living apartment. Oh, and she will tell me about her travel plans for next year! LOL 😆
I truly hope that I don’t inherit the longevity on my mother’s side of the family!
Old age is fine for people like my cousin who don’t have any major health issues and enough money to live comfortably. People who are burdened with health issues and financial difficulties feel stressed and don’t want the burden of a long life.
My dad died at 85.
Mom had Parkinson’s disease. When people would tell her that she would live to be 100, her answer would be, “Oh, God. I hope not!”
I DO think that terrific facilities, those that are well staffed and pay a bit more, those encouraging a staff to sees elder care as a vocation, keep staff more readily than others.
Overall I believe your surmise is correct. It's currently tough to keep staff. This isn't just in elder care. In my own neighborhood I see shops of all kinds closing because they cannot keep staff.