Long term care

Preparing for life after work. RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, annuities and meeting future financial and psychological needs.
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Bylo Selhi
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Re: Long term care

Post by Bylo Selhi »

This is important if you or your family member receives home care. Essentially if the patient gets any amount of home care through CCAC, even only an hour or two per week, then any additional home care they contract for privately is exempt from HST. I didn't realize that. I'd wondered why one of the agencies that provided home care to my mom didn't charge HST while the other did. In our case the distinction works out to a potential HST refund of several $1,000s for 2013 alone (and more once I dig out the previous tax return.)

Presumably a similar situation exists in provinces other than Ontario.

The lesson behind a $12,000 HST rebate for home care
Lebow recommends that in any situation where an individual requires home care services, an application should be made to CCAC or a similar government agency for subsidized or free services before or at the same time a private home care worker is retained. “Even if CCAC authorizes services for only one or two hours a week, it’s enough to trigger the HST exemption for additional privately-retained home care services. With an HST rate of 13 per cent that can quickly add up,” Lebow says.

He also advises individuals receiving both public and private home care services to inform the agency they are working with and request that invoices do not include HST.

In the event that someone you know has inadvertently paid HST you can apply to the CRA for a rebate going back two years. Ontario residents must send the completed General Application for rebate of GST/HST CRA (Form 189) three-page form with a letter from CCAC confirming the client is receiving subsidized care plus copies of the original invoices to the Sudbury Tax Centre 1050 Notre Dame Ave., Sudbury, ON, P3A 5C1. “A rebate can take up to several months to process,” Lebow says.
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poedin
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Re: Long term care

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Bylo Selhi wrote:This is important if you or your family member receives home care. Essentially if the patient gets any amount of home care through CCAC, even only an hour or two per week, then any additional home care they contract for privately is exempt from HST. I didn't realize that. I'd wondered why one of the agencies that provided home care to my mom didn't charge HST while the other did. In our case the distinction works out to a potential HST refund of several $1,000s for 2013 alone (and more once I dig out the previous tax return.)

Presumably a similar situation exists in provinces other than Ontario.

The lesson behind a $12,000 HST rebate for home care
Lebow recommends that in any situation where an individual requires home care services, an application should be made to CCAC or a similar government agency for subsidized or free services before or at the same time a private home care worker is retained. “Even if CCAC authorizes services for only one or two hours a week, it’s enough to trigger the HST exemption for additional privately-retained home care services. With an HST rate of 13 per cent that can quickly add up,” Lebow says.

He also advises individuals receiving both public and private home care services to inform the agency they are working with and request that invoices do not include HST.

In the event that someone you know has inadvertently paid HST you can apply to the CRA for a rebate going back two years. Ontario residents must send the completed General Application for rebate of GST/HST CRA (Form 189) three-page form with a letter from CCAC confirming the client is receiving subsidized care plus copies of the original invoices to the Sudbury Tax Centre 1050 Notre Dame Ave., Sudbury, ON, P3A 5C1. “A rebate can take up to several months to process,” Lebow says.
Thanks Bylo Selhi! We had no idea that such a rebate existed - this will certainly help.
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Re: Long term care

Post by amphitryon »

I just found this thread - and would like to thank all who contributed. There's a lot to learn and I just started.

We (my wife and I) are caring for an old friend of the family, who is alone and who just turned 100. He really had a good time at the party we had for him. Over 70 folks from his ''independent living'' (Life Lease) apartment came and he had a great day.

A few days after the party we had an appointment at Sunnybrook for a suddenly developed carcinoma on his cheek. Long story short, after the operation (outpatient), I spent a day and night on his couch after he called his Lifeline around midnight and they took him back to Sunnybrook (leakage from surgery, which alarmed him), and my wife did the next night, since he was promptly discharged again after a dressing change. Then I found a companion - 24.00/hr who stayed 48 hours until I got a room for him in the ''assisted living'' side of the complex he's in, and moved him over. $ 100.-/day full room and board.

Looked like they had a nursing station on the floor - but after seeing staff preparing their own dinners in that room and after some questions from my side, turned out they are various ''helpers'' who actually dispense daily medication rations, apply the odd band-aid and otherwise clean the rooms, take folks to dinner/lunch, bring them food etc. All nice and hard working people but no trained nurse among them. On inquiry I found that the whole complex of at least 600 units (three levels of living in three connected buildings) has only one RN! (mandatory minimum??) Have not met her/him yet. Not sure if the fourth building (LTC) has more nurses, but I would hope so.

Our friend needed the odd additional dressing change - a CCAC nurse comes daily. After I showed the staff how to do it (I was ''taught'' by a great nurse at Sunnybrook) they reluctantly will attend to it when it's really necessary (leakage). Not a good situation now and also not looking forward to what else might come.
The complex has visiting doctors on five days per week, but the residents are out of luck after hours and on weekends/holidays. Result: trips to hospitals with all the extra cost burden to the taxpayer and not necessary most of the time.

Our friend is still 98 % ''there'', but does forget stuff. We are trying to convince him to stay for good and dispose of the Life Lease apartment - but the jury is still out. He needs to decide for himself. So far he likes the three meals a day and the very attentive staff in the dining room. The food is also good, and he has a good appetite. But he's immediately caught on that staff is not nursing staff, even if they dress like it, and he's not impressed.

I also realize that I must register him for LTC pronto, since I understand the long waiting times. The dilemma for us: he is comfortable where he is, knows the complex and still gets around with a walker on his own. The complex has several dining rooms, a cafeteria, drug-store, barber shop, pool, library, exercise programs and common rooms. Drawback - no alcohol policy. The ''assisted living'' area also has larger rooms available - $3,500 - 4,000, which he can afford.
The location is also ideal for shopping, banking etc., but I now have reservations re. the ability to provide nursing care when needed. They also do not provide companions for trips - say radiation if required etc. I assume CCAC will be of help there.

The question is, are there better suitable places in TO, which have actually nursing staff, and does it make sense and try to persuade a hundred year old to move, or do we take a chance and struggle along until he's ready for LTC, if it comes to this?
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Pickles
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Re: Long term care

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Nursing homes and Long Term Care facilities are government regulated with respect to care services offered, minimum staff requirements, etc. Retirement Homes and rest homes are not. Life lease apartments are one version of unregulated accommodation. Some have little more than an emergency call button and a dining room; others are as well equipped as regulated nursing homes. Generally, what you see and pay for is what you get. The institution must provide residents with a list of care services available and the cost of each. If you provide the name of the facility,that might help me is getting a clearer picture.

I'm a bit confused over some details in your post. You say he wants to go back to his apartment, is mobile with a walker and that there are dining rooms in the complex he can use. It looks like his old apartment is basically sufficient for his needs without paying the $100 per day extra for the "assisted living" room. Being in a familiar setting with friends and activities is best for him if he can manage. On this point I think you are ambivalent but you don't provide any glaring problem and, presumably, his wound will settle down in time.

Can he not simply arrange, through CCAC, to have a personal care assistant come daily to make sure his wound isn't leaking and that he is otherwise doing OK? I'm not understanding what medical care he is getting now that he can't get in his apartment cheaper, contracted separately. If he does require more nursing help, does the 4th building you refer to provide more nursing services or not? You should consult the "Care Home Package" to see what they offer and the price of each service he needs.

I also don't understand your comment about alcohol. Is it available on the Independent Living side but not on the assisted side and, if so, is this an issue for him?

Do you hold his power of attorney? Does anyone? ISTM that you (or the POA) needs to have an unpressured conversation with him to find out what he thinks is best for himself and the financial implications of each (for example: if he spends $100 a day for extra attention now, will he still have enough money to get an unsubsidized room if he takes a turn for the worse or should he return to his apartment and save this money for "emergencies").

Re: hospital: If he has a medical emergency requiring hospitalization, the hospital is not permitted to discharge him unless he has a place with suitable care to go to. Hospitals really turn on the pressure to get relatives to take the patient home and assume responsibility with visits from personal care assistants who often cannot provide sufficient care for the patient at this stage and are never available at night and on weekends. However, families can refuse to cooperate with a hospital. In that case, the patient stays until a nursing home bed can be found. If he is willing, definitely have him apply, with your help, to several nursing homes now.
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Bylo Selhi
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Re: Long term care

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amphitryon wrote:I also realize that I must register him for LTC pronto, since I understand the long waiting times. The dilemma for us: he is comfortable where he is, knows the complex and still gets around with a walker on his own.
Nevertheless CCAC will recommend that he get on the LTC waiting list even if he doesn't need to go to a facility yet. You need to make sure his CCAC case manager is aware of his situation. (They'll let you sit in on the discussion if the patient allows and you're willing.)
The complex has several dining rooms, a cafeteria, drug-store, barber shop, pool, library, exercise programs and common rooms. Drawback - no alcohol policy. The ''assisted living'' area also has larger rooms available - $3,500 - 4,000, which he can afford.
The location is also ideal for shopping, banking etc., but I now have reservations re. the ability to provide nursing care when needed. They also do not provide companions for trips - say radiation if required etc. I assume CCAC will be of help there.
They will but not enough. You will also need to provide for transportation to/from the other facility. But you should get as much help from CCAC as you can before dipping into personal financial resources.
The question is, are there better suitable places in TO, which have actually nursing staff, and does it make sense and try to persuade a hundred year old to move, or do we take a chance and struggle along until he's ready for LTC, if it comes to this?
LTC facilities are supposed to have 24hr nursing staff. I suspect that they're overworked as they are in other medical facilities. If your friend is willing, try to stay put for as long as possible. You can hire home care for ~$24/hour on an as-needed basis, say 2 or 3 hours per day. CCAC should be able to provide at least 1 to 2 hours a day. The issue gets more difficult if/when the patient needs assistance to get around, e.g. to use the toilet, when you'll need a lot more home care, or face a lot of pressure to get into an LTC.

BTW change is coming slowly, e.g. Ontario seniors’ homes to get more nurse practitioners
Ontario’s health minister has announced that 75 nurse practitioners will be hired for long-term care homes. In doing so, Deb Matthews acknowledged that’s not enough for the woefully understaffed seniors’ facilities, and promised more will come.
The move is intended to take the pressure off overcrowded hospitals by cutting down on ambulance transfers from homes. It is also aimed at reducing the need for restraints — both physical and chemical — by increasing supervision of residents.
Now "up to $14 million" is a drop in the bucket. A NP earns ~$100k/yr plus benefits, say $125k, so $9.5 million per year for just this announcement. (That's in addition to post-graduate education, etc. to get from RN to NP.)
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Re: Long term care

Post by amphitryon »

Thank you all for the replies and tips; I will try to clarify some points.

The facility in question (Pickles, I will send you a PM with the name) consists of four linked buildings: Life Lease apartments, Assisted Living, Rental Living (apartments) and LTC, all built around a central pod with the shared facilities, shops, offices etc.

Our friend's old apartment (Life Lease) would be 'sufficient' for now, especially if we can arrange daily visits by a caregiver.
However, my concern is that one morning he'll forget to turn off the stove, leave his door unlocked when going out (has done) etc. - hence my thinking that going forward, he'd be better off in the ''assisted living'' wing where he does not make his own breakfast or warm up lunch. But it all hinges on him getting the help/care he needs there. This I'm not convinced of yet.

Since the buildings are all linked, seeing/meeting friends in any part presents no problems. There are organized ''coffee hours'', lots of church services (which our friend does not attend), movie nights, ''men's breakfasts'', etc., discussion groups, monitored exercise classes (he loves them), etc.

My doubts about the current ''assisted living'' set-up stem from my ''experiences'' there so far - add to it that he developed an ugly cold on Monday/Tuesday past, and nobody told him to see a physician yet. I told him this morning to simply go - no appointment necessary (''his'' doctor is only in Wednesday and he thought he can only see him, even when he needs one on Tuesday. I shall not comment on this blind obeisance to perceived authority, drummed into some ''tribes''). After I reminded him that today was Wednesday, he's now going down as I write this. My concern - when I can hear his condition on the phone, why did staff not do anything? Not reassuring at all.

In the past, he only went for one meal a day - usually dinner - to the restaurant. This naturally required him to go go over to the Agincourt Mall (three minutes outside with a walker) and do his shopping for the in-between meals. I simply feel that the current set-up is better for him and he does now enjoy simply having to go down for his meals - all three per day.

This sums up my concerns. I will apply for LTC after discussing it with him, just to be 'on the list', and I will investigate the services in that (fourth) building of the complex. I also will have a chat with his caseworker at CCAC regarding other services.

Yes, I have his POA and am also executor of his will. His current after tax income will sustain an annual cost of 28,000.- (with room for some pocket money) indefinitely, and any extra will come from savings and the proceeds from the sale of his Life Lease apartment. This would allow him to spend up to an extra 2,000 per month for the next ten years.
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Bylo Selhi
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Re: Long term care

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amphitryon wrote:But it all hinges on him getting the help/care he needs there. This I'm not convinced of yet.
This is the crux of the matter. In an LTC/nursing home you have to compete for a relatively scarce shared resource (nursing, PSW staff.) The competition is based on need as perceived by that staff. So if you're reasonably independent compared to others who may be bed-ridden, incontinent, suffer from Alzheimers, etc. then your priority is relatively low. The only solution I'm aware of is more private care. That as you've noticed really adds up fast at $24/hr.
I have his POA and am also executor of his will. His current after tax income will sustain an annual cost of 28,000.- (with room for some pocket money) indefinitely, and any extra will come from savings and the proceeds from the sale of his Life Lease apartment. This would allow him to spend up to an extra 2,000 per month for the next ten years.
That's not very much to pay for private care. You said upthread that your friend is aged 100 and "is alone." That seems to me is an almost ideal situation to consider an annuity, i.e. very old means large payments since life expectancy is short and (presumably) no one is depending on an inheritance that would no longer exist. With an income of only $28k I suspect most is based on pensions (CPP, OAS, etc.) and is already "annuitized." But if there's a savings/investment portfolio of some sort perhaps that can be annuitized in order to maximize cash flow. I'm not sure if this is possible but one way to finance this may be to get a mortgage on the life lease, use that to buy an annuity, then pay off the mortgage when the owner dies and his life lease interest is resold. Assuming something like this is even possible I'd get some legal advice on how to proceed.
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Re: Long term care

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My father lives in a retirement home in Toronto and we were told that there isn't much use in putting his name on the LTC list unless he needs to go soon, because once you reach the top you either have to move to the LTC facility, or go back to the bottom of the list, and I'm not sure that they'd take too kindly to someone doing that over and over again, just to always have a shot at being close to the top when the actual need arose.

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Re: Long term care

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The home probably has a policy that after one or two accidents with the stove setting off the smoke alarm, the stove is unplugged. You could probably do this beforehand. A toaster, a microwave and a kettle might be all that is needed for breakfast or lunch. Or maybe he starts going down for more meals?
Our care aides in BC are certified, either for home care or long term care. We have home care RNs that will come to anyone's house to help with bandages or whatnot, post surgery. At least they do here in the Cariboo. Maybe check with the social worker at the hospital to see what might be available?
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Re: Long term care

Post by amphitryon »

Thanks all again for the various comments and tips - all very welcome.

The decision to move back to his own unit was made today and we discussed extra help, if and when required. I will get up to speed on what is available through CCAC and also private care.

Tuesday he developed a cold which I could clearly hear on the phone - he calls us once a day - but nobody at the home suggested he should see a doctor. I told him to go and he did. This plus the fact that one of the cleaning ladies apparently absconded with his room-key while he was at breakfast, tipped him over. It's Thursday and when I picked him up today for his Sunnybrook check-up, he still did not have his room key back or a new one. Nobody seems to care, so I agreed that he's better off back in his home, without spending an extra $100.00 a day.
Good point about the LTC waitlist - seems one needs to wait until the need is urgent or the person wants to move in. Neither is the case yet.
Thanks Pickles re. hospital protocol - noted for future. While he was picked up by ambulance and taken to Sunnybrook based on his Life Line call, my wife made the 'mistake' and went then to the emergency/admitting, where he was. Naturally they then ''released him into her care'' and took him back again to his home in a van. I'm sure they asked her and she did not realize what was going on.
I should add that when they were back in his unit, the driver who came along upstairs, noticed that he still had the stent in his arm from the intravenous - back they went, where it was removed while still being in the van, by a nurse chatting on her cell phone while pulling the thing out. Then they could leave again, without so much as an ''I'm sorry''.

Now I'll immerse myself into what we can claim through his pretty good health plan (worked for Spar Aerospace) and what we can use on his tax return, besides the claims where the plan does not reimburse him fully. Still lots to learn. Plus I'm still dealing with "Neubrandenburg'' (German Tax office) on his behalf. They too want their pound of flesh now and their tax act is a nightmare, even when you're fluent in the language.
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Re: Long term care

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Old like me. Why elderly care needs more risk
We take these calculated risks every day: slicing bread, crossing the street, staying up late. Suddenly being regarded as unable to make decisions you’ve made all your life contributes to a feeling of disempowerment. In our attempt to remove all risk in nursing homes we have ended up with regulations that are so extreme that residents may no longer have autonomy or feel at home... For residents of nursing homes to experience a home-like environment and more autonomy may require an increased tolerance for calculated risk...
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Re: Long term care

Post by Norbert Schlenker »

[marginally ot]Wrapping everything in cotton wool appears to be counterproductive for kids.[/ot]

I know this is mere anecdote, but my experience is that removing responsibility for day to day tasks from the elderly - on the theory that it's simpler or more convenient - leads to increasing rates of cognitive decline. Yes, it's convenient to have the OAP direct deposited, but maybe it's better if the cheque comes in the mail, from which it has to be fetched, then opened, then walked to the bank, then deposited while conversing with the teller. Yes, it's convenient to have someone do your shopping and deliver the groceries to your door, but maybe it's better to make your own list, walk to the store, compare the prices, look for the unadvertised specials, and cart the stuff home.

If an elderly person cannot look after themselves, then well and good to provide some help. Just be careful that the help doesn't make things worse.
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Re: Long term care

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Norbert Schlenker wrote:[marginally ot]Wrapping everything in cotton wool appears to be counterproductive for kids.[/ot]

I know this is mere anecdote, but my experience is that removing responsibility for day to day tasks from the elderly - on the theory that it's simpler or more convenient - leads to increasing rates of cognitive decline. Yes, it's convenient to have the OAP direct deposited, but maybe it's better if the cheque comes in the mail, from which it has to be fetched, then opened, then walked to the bank, then deposited while conversing with the teller. Yes, it's convenient to have someone do your shopping and deliver the groceries to your door, but maybe it's better to make your own list, walk to the store, compare the prices, look for the unadvertised specials, and cart the stuff home.
:thumbsup: Mum may require her walker and often a drive to do her errands, yet she looks forward to those trips in her neighbourhood - it certainly lifts her spirits (and ours too since we often run into friends & aquaintances). She still manually completes her own tax returns (we check it over together) and got a call this morning letting me know she started her vegetable gardening (tomatoes from seed).
On the other hand we're still in negotiations on occasional help with home maintenance :wink: [vs 1.5h+ roundtrips]
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Re: Long term care

Post by amphitryon »

Norbert Schlenker wrote:If an elderly person cannot look after themselves, then well and good to provide some help. Just be careful that the help doesn't make things worse.
Fully agree. A ''graduated'' approach is best, but how to get/do this when you're not even next door, so to speak?

The difficulty comes through when the lines blur - many tasks can be done quite nicely, then the day of the week ''disappears'' and a reminder is needed.
Or the daily visits for radiation (25 in all) - the drivers through the Cancer Society are all very good, but they must drop the fares at the door to the hospital and move on (no stopping or parking except ''unloading''). So we had to find and engage a companion to meet him at the hospital and stay until he's back in the car. We did a few dry-runs before, but it was not possible: poor vision and a hearing aid in the back pocket (!), the elevators are too fast, the buttons too hard to see (worn off) and before you know it, you're on another floor. And no volunteers in sight usually. At the second ''trial'''I found him on the wrong floor, waiting to have ''bloodworks'' done; I was too p..off to ask the nurse how she reconciled this with his chart, which did not require this; he just went to the wrong floor.

And I won't talk about the ''self-check-in'' via barcode-reader when you arrive - nice idea, but needs a better type reader at that location. The outside parking tag scanners seems to have it solved - only one way to enter a ticket.

The hospital has my recommendations already - a Walmart type ''greeter'' (volunteer) would be great to start ..............

Or simple tasks like applying eye drops for a few weeks, four times a day, become a real problem, and without the help from a kind neighbour, impossible to manage. Visiting nurses can be had once a day, or so we hope - still waiting for CCAC to get back on this - but more is likely not to be had.
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Re: Long term care

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Yes, it's convenient to have the OAP direct deposited, but maybe it's better if the cheque comes in the mail, from which it has to be fetched, then opened, then walked to the bank, then deposited while conversing with the teller.
However for most elderly folks living in their own homes mail won't be delivered anymore in the near future. They will need to first get to a community mail box and then get to a bank - despite the weather - both of which could be several kilometers apart - and then after all have a that chat with a teller.

And if they live in Fort Nelson, or Sparwood, or Dease Lake - well what fun they will have on that adventure.
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Re: Long term care

Post by Shakespeare »

And if they live in Fort Nelson, or Sparwood, or Dease Lake - well what fun they will have on that adventure.
Going to the post office is a daily ritual in small towns. Been there, done that. :wink:
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Re: Long term care

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Shakespeare wrote:
And if they live in Fort Nelson, or Sparwood, or Dease Lake - well what fun they will have on that adventure.
Going to the post office is a daily ritual in small towns. Been there, done that. :wink:
Or a weekly ritual. Folk who have gotten their mail from a central mail facility all their lives do not fuss much about what it takes to get the mail. It is an outing!
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Re: Long term care

Post by Bylo Selhi »

Shine wrote:However for most elderly folks living in their own homes mail won't be delivered anymore in the near future. They will need to first get to a community mail box
SuperMailBoxes and similar have been around for decades. By-the-road mail boxes and PO boxes at "nearby" community have been around even longer in rural areas. Somehow seniors serviced by those means have managed. Admittedly it's been a struggle for some, as it will be for some of those about to get SMBs. Your point?
and then get to a bank - despite the weather - both of which could be several kilometers apart - and then after all have a that chat with a teller.
That aspect is no different with or without SMBs.
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Re: Long term care

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Bylo Selhi wrote:
Shine wrote:However for most elderly folks living in their own homes mail won't be delivered anymore in the near future. They will need to first get to a community mail box
SuperMailBoxes and similar have been around for decades. By-the-road mail boxes and PO boxes at "nearby" community have been around even longer in rural areas. Somehow seniors serviced by those means have managed. Admittedly it's been a struggle for some, as it will be for some of those about to get SMBs. Your point?
Those soon to lose their mail delivery will have to learn new routines: to find their collection place, remember to take their key (and not leave it behind), find their box, etc. Elderly people have difficulty learning new tasks, especially related to familiar routines that are now changing. It is one other item that relatives will have to worry about.
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Re: Long term care

Post by Bylo Selhi »

Pickles wrote:Those soon to lose their mail delivery will have to learn new routines: to find their collection place, remember to take their key (and not leave it behind), find their box, etc. Elderly people have difficulty learning new tasks, especially related to familiar routines that are now changing. It is one other item that relatives will have to worry about.
As did the seniors who preceded them in previous decades when they moved into smaller houses serviced by SMBs or apartments with a battery of PO boxes in a common area. My peeve is with those who are now complaining about the loss of home delivery, who want it maintained for themselves and seem to be oblivious to the ~43% of Canadians who already get their mail "delivered" in this way. I haven't heard any of the protesters call for full restoration of to-the-door delivery. Yet the 43% who currently don't get that level of service still pay the same amount for a postage stamp. Why the double standard?
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Pickles
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Re: Long term care

Post by Pickles »

Bylo Selhi wrote:
Pickles wrote:Those soon to lose their mail delivery will have to learn new routines: to find their collection place, remember to take their key (and not leave it behind), find their box, etc. Elderly people have difficulty learning new tasks, especially related to familiar routines that are now changing. It is one other item that relatives will have to worry about.
As did the seniors who preceded them in previous decades when they moved into smaller houses serviced by SMBs or apartments with a battery of PO boxes in a common area. My peeve is with those who are now complaining about the loss of home delivery, who want it maintained for themselves and seem to be oblivious to the ~43% of Canadians who already get their mail "delivered" in this way. I haven't heard any of the protesters call for full restoration of to-the-door delivery. Yet the 43% who currently don't get that level of service still pay the same amount for a postage stamp. Why the double standard?
I answered your question and now you're changing the topic. There is already a thread about mail delivery if you wish to discuss it.

For the purposes of this thread, it is one other "task" that some seniors have and, per Norbert's point, should be encouraged to continue to carry out but for others, it would be a new, possibly confusing task, like having to find one's way through the hospital for radiation treatment.
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Re: Long term care

Post by AltaRed »

I agree it can be difficult for elderly seniors to learn new routines BUT if they have most of their cognitive abilities, they adjust to it in a matter of days or weeks, with repetition. Someone needs to initially help them through that process.

When my 'legally blind' (but with some vision) elderly mother moved into a senior's residence at age 92, she worried about how to find the elevator on her floor, how to use the elevator, and how to navigate to/from the dining room. I stayed with her the first 5 days and helped her with her routine (intervening only when she got hopelessly confused or lost). She eventually got it within that time frame...even what to do when lost on her floor... and to ask others if confused on the main common floor (dining, postal boxes, etc).
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Re: Long term care

Post by Bylo Selhi »

Pickles wrote:I answered your question and now you're changing the topic. There is already a thread about mail delivery if you wish to discuss it.

I was responding to "Those soon to lose their mail delivery will have to learn new routines..." They face the same challenges as those who have already lost it.
For the purposes of this thread, it is one other "task" that some seniors have and, per Norbert's point, should be encouraged to continue to carry out but for others, it would be a new, possibly confusing task, like having to find one's way through the hospital for radiation treatment.
Absolutely! Learning new tasks is a life-long requirement. I sympathize with those whose advanced age or who have some other disability that makes that difficult or impossible. But my impression is that the number of seniors who "give up" without (much) trying exceeds those with the willingness but whose mind or body won't cooperate.
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