A serious suggestion to everyone with elderly and/or disabled parents: America has been becoming increasingly toxic to the elderly and disabled, and it will almost certainly become much, much worse, no matter who is in charge, for several reasons.
Government involvement in health care, the baby boomers all coming of age, a general lack of people willing to care for geriatrics in medicine, and a huge lack of people to do the day to day maintenance. Add to this collapsing medical ethics that views suicide and homicide as good alternatives to the “hassle” of continuing care.
So it is time to consider “The Mexican Option”. Don’t just dismiss this in an offhand manner.
Mexico’s health care is a lot more capitalistic than health care in the US. Their medical schools do not intentionally restrict the numbers of doctors they graduate, like schools in the US, and they have an abundance of skilled nurses and a great abundance of nurses aides and other workers.
And a large percentage of them speak English. So what does Mexico offer that the US does not?
1) Far less expensive, but capable surgeries, diagnosis and treatment. Far less expensive hospitalization and nursing home, as well as ordinary retirement housing. Far less expensive pharmaceuticals.
2) Much more, and less expensive, medical labor, so that there is a team of people for just a few patients, especially to take care of the little things that matter like cleaning, laundry, food preparation, even around-the-clock sitting.
3) Respect for the elderly and infirm. Mexican families almost never send their older members to nursing homes, as this is culturally discouraged as disrespectful. They also have a much better regard for the elderly as a whole, so tend to be good caregivers, unlike much of the care found in the US.
4) The ridiculously high expense of nursing home care in the US is so bad, that some elderly and at least partially ambulatory people have figured out that for about the same money, they can lead much better lives aboard cruise ships. Better food, adequate medical care from the ships medical staff, maid service, etc. Opposed to sitting in a wheelchair for hours every day staring at a painted block wall, or lying in bed staring at the ceiling.
My mom is moving to a retirement community that is like a an apartment complex combined with a country club plus a skilled nursing facility. The Executive chef previously was in charge of food service on cruise ships and appeared on more than 100 episodes of Martha Stewart.