I'm sorry to here about your situation. I never said that a person couldn't have "bad luck," rather, I said that "bad luck" is overused. But I have to ask: Why didn't your parents have health insurance or long term care insurance?
They had insurance but that only goes so far. Insurance has limits, you know. When we were dealing with these problems insurance wouldn't cover the long-term costs associated with Alzheimer's care. That was all on the family to pay. Medicare paid some bills associated with short-term care like acute illnesses, but long-term care falls through the cracks. I cared for my mother at home and made the sacrifices necessary to keep her in a home environment as long as possible. That ain't cheap. When the time came we had to have her in skilled care. That was about $6K a month. Since Alzheimer's can go on for years you end up spending a lot. Long-term care insurance? Didn't work out on timing. Most financial planners recommend purchasing long-term insurance in your late fifties to early sixties, because the costs are affordable in that age range and most people's health is still pretty good. My father already had his illness when he was 59 and so was ineligible. My Mom couldn't afford the coverage because she was rated based on family medical history (both parents died of cancer). So she avoids cancer and ends up with Alzheimer's. Go figure.
All I'm saying is that there are many, many people here on FR who for some reason are quick to blame the victim. They shoot from the hip for some odd motivation which I suspect is a Rush-like wannbe for "tough love", or seemingly like a tough-minded, "rugged individualist", and not recognize that there are many, many people out there who through no fault of their own end up with a lot of bad breaks. To sweep them all away under the rug of "it's your own fault you're broke so quit whining" is neither compassionate nor accurate. Life sometimes just isn't as straightforward as all that.