Had a talk with my mom's neighbor about her care plan and it hit different

I was chatting with Mrs. Coleman, our 82 year old neighbor in Charlotte, while waiting for my mom's physical therapy appointment last week. She told me she turned down a spot at a nice assisted living place because they wanted $4,500 a month and she'd rather age in place with a part time aide for $18 an hour. Made me wonder if we're all too quick to look at nursing homes instead of piecing together care at home. Anyone else found that home care options end up being way more flexible than they expected?

3 comments

3 Comments

jason_stone592d agoMost Upvoted

Huh, actually $4,500 a month for assisted living is pretty standard around here. That $18 an hour for a part time aide adds up fast too, like $3,000 a month for just 40 hours a week. The real trick is how much care she actually needs and if family can fill in the gaps without burning out.

grantw412d ago

And that's the real issue right there. Most folks don't think about the hidden costs like the aide hours adding up fast. I've seen families stretch things by having someone come in for just the morning and evening rush, then relying on a neighbor or relative to check in during the day. It's not perfect but it keeps the monthly bill under 2 grand and nobody gets burnt out.

pat_roberts558h ago

I swear my mom's aide schedule looks like a bad game of Tetris trying to keep costs down. We do the same thing - someone comes at 7 AM to get her up and around, then a cousin stops by at noon to make sure she actually eats lunch, then I'm back after work to handle dinner and bedtime. It's held together with prayer and caffeine. Works fine until someone gets the flu and the whole house of cards collapses.