[3catsanadog]

I agree. If medicare/medicaid were to provide funds for nursing and aid services (and continuing physical and occupational therapy) for the patient at the home of their loved ones, I'm sure most people would rather have them at home instead of some institution.

But it doesn't, so when our parents get to that point of not being able to safely care for themselves, we are faced with (1) keeping them at home and providing 24/7/365 care by ourselves, (2) letting them stay at home and using whatever monetary resources they still have and we might be able to contribute to hire nurses and aids to care for them, (3) put them in a nursing home and take advantage of the medicaid provisions (which would not take effect until after every last dime of their assets have been spent first.)

[Sparko]

Dismal, isn’t it?

Perhaps the only way that the current administration would change the Medicare/Medicaid payment rules to permit home care is to convince Obama and crew that he could create thousands of instant jobs for ACORN and the SEIU workers.

Now that *would* be a dismal scenario: ACORN and SEIU workers tending to your Granny, pawing through her possessions and enjoying some of her SS payments. In a perverse way, her longevity might actually be ensured.
s/o