Nursing homes? I think not!

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 1/7/06 at 7:36pm

SENT TO ME IN AN E-MAIL. THIS E-MAIL HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY FAMILY. I SUPPOSE IT HAS JUST BEEN A CHAIN E-MAIL.

About 2 years ago my wife and I were on a cruise through the western Mediterranean aboard a Princess liner. At dinner we noticed an elderly lady sitting alone along the rail of the grand stairway in the main dining room.

I also noticed that all the staff, ships officers, waiters, busboys, etc., all seemed very familiar with this lady. I asked our waiter who the lady was, expecting to be told she owned the line, but he said he only knew that she had been on board for the last four cruises, back to back.

As we left the dining room one evening I caught her eye and stopped to say hello. We chatted and I said, "I understand you've been on this ship for the last four cruises." She replied, "Yes, that' s true." I stated, "I don't understand" and she replied, without a pause, "It's cheaper than a nursing home."

So, there will be no nursing home in my future. When I get old and feeble, I am going to get on a Princess Cruise Ship. The average cost for a nursing home is $200 per day. I have checked on reservations at Princess and I can get a long term discount and senior discount price of $135 per day. That leaves $65 a day for:

1. Gratuities which will only be $10 per day.

2. I will have as many as 10 meals a day (of fantastic food, not institutional food) if I can waddle to the restaurant, or I can have room service (which means I can have breakfast in bed every day of the week).

3. Princess has as many as three swimming pools, a workout room, free washers and dryers, and shows every night.

4. They have free toothpaste and razors, and free soap and shampoo.

5. They will even treat you like a customer, not a patient. An extra $5 worth of tips will have the entire staff scrambling to help you.

6. I will get to meet new people every 7 or 14 days!

7. TV broken? Light bulb need changing? Need to have the mattress replaced? No problem! They will fix everything and apologize for your inconvenience.

8. Clean sheets and towels every day, and you don't even have to ask for them.

9. If you fall in the nursing home and break a hip you are on Medicare; if you fall and break a hip on the Princess ship they will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.

10. There is always a doctor on board.

Now hold on for the best! Do you want to see South America, the Panama Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, or name where you want to go? Princess will have a ship ready to go. So don't look for me in a nursing home, just call shore to ship.

PS: And don't forget, when you die, they just dump you over the side at no charge.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/7/06 at 7:39pm

There are actually people who do that instead of a nursing home. My parents mentioned one such lady on the last Royal Caribbean cruise they were on (I believe it was the Panama Canal). Great idea!

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 1/7/06 at 7:42pm

I agree! It doesn't seem too bad. I think this could become the new 'fad'

Who could pass up all of those things! Especially for a cheaper price than a nursing home where you don't nearly have any of those things and often have cranky people around.

[thirdrowcenter]

Posted: 1/7/06 at 7:49pm

Sounds better than paying a nursing home $400. a day (but then again I don't know if they will change diapers.)

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 1/7/06 at 7:53pm

thirdrow- I think they will do it if you hand them a few extra bucks.
Ya know those cabin stewarts. Many from the Phillapines- I'm sure they'll do it for 2 bucks each diaper change. I mean come on!- I don't think they make much at all from the ship's company.

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 1/7/06 at 7:53pm

I think you guys are missing a key concept. Healthy old people aren't the people who live in nursing homes. Nursing homes are filled with those who have medical problems and/or are mentally or physically feeble to the point where they can't do the activities of daily living without assistance in their own home environment. Few nursing home residents would be able to handle a four day cruise on their own, let alone live on a cruise ship indefinitely.

[Kringas]

Posted: 1/7/06 at 7:55pm

Not to mention that some of the nursing home costs would be mitigated by insurance, Medicare, etc.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/7/06 at 7:57pm

Certainly you're not suggesting that physically and mentally feeble old people wouldn't want an unlimited midnight buffet??

[ally_kay_on_broadway]

Posted: 1/7/06 at 8:04pm

it is a good idea but iflit i right.

I am a residential worker in a nursing home, and i can tell you that almost all of our residents need meds to be administered, diapers changed, oxygen tanks, etc...

Once you hit the point where you need someone to help you eat and dress- you don't really have any more options.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/7/06 at 8:11pm

That's true, iflit. I suppose the ones who would do this sort of thing are folks who are too weak to maintain a daily lifestyle (stocking supplies, cooking, cleaning) but strong enough to line up for 24-hour pizza and sushi. It's an interesting idea. If you have travel insurance, you're covered (until you need a full-time medical aide). I find cruising so exhausting though - perhaps because of the daily excursions, but it's so much stress! Should I order two appetizers or two entrees? Will I have time to play blackjack before the show or after? Tanning, swimming or rockclimbing? Tough choices. When I get home, I need a vacation from the vacation!

[The Grovers Corners Yenta2]

Posted: 1/7/06 at 8:31pm

I think that there are some of you who have never seen the inside of a nursing home. Many people are afraid to even visit because they are afraid of what they might see..............people who are in the last stages of their lives. But there are also people living there who are disabled and have no place to live. Do visit you local nursing home and perhaps do some volunteer work. Listen to the people who livew there because they can actually enrich your life!

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 1/7/06 at 9:06pm

I appologize as I should have written something before posting the orginal story.

This story, I think, was more intended to be funny rather than serious. Perhaps I was more toward thinking of retirenment homes than nursing homes. However, I have been to nursing homes- my grandfather was in one for a couple years before his death. His last couple months in the nursing home were very stressful and painful *for him and our family* However, many months before that (still in the nursing home) I think he could have lived a wonderful life on a cruise.
At that point (8 years ago) I don't think anybody even thought of such an idea.

Depending on the person and their condition, they may or may not be suited for this kind of life. Some people don't even like cruising at all so this lifestyle would never work for them.

Again, I took this e-mail as more of a joke although I do see it feasible for some people- even some in nursing homes.

Updated On: 1/7/06 at 09:06 PM

[sabrelady]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 4:20pm

Iflit has it right. ALSO there is another issue- that most cruise companies have a cut off age ( some 80 some 85) as the older u get the more likely u are to need advanced medical care and those stories of surgery's done @ sea are legends. Ok u got an MD, but is he a surgeon, a GP a cardiologist what? This is an age of specialization. ALSO if there is a med emerg the ship would have to divert to the nearest port to med evac the patient disrupting the cruise itiniery @ considerable cost to the company and the patient. ( hope they have insurance!!) I learned some of this stuff when I worked for Windjammer who was one of the few cruise co's w out a cutoff age. ( Don't ask!!)

[cheezedoodle]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 4:23pm

Well if you don't want to wait that long, there are two ships that you can actually buy your cabin and live on board just as if it were a floating condominium. IThe travel channel has a program that features them...I thought if ever I won the lottery...

[Elphaba]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 4:25pm

this is true, checking snopes.com
but nothing is as rosy as we seem to think...see article below


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