Retirement Home

This morning, we went to Baltimore to see the wife of Mom’s advisor (professor) in graduate school. She has lived alone for quite sometime. On and off, we have visited her so many times during the passed 30+ years. She has cancer right now and walks fairly slowly with a high-tech walker. Her only daughter is living in Albany, NY and visits her monthly. I promised her if I will drive north to see Jeremy and Doris after April, next year, I will pick her up to see her daughter. One stone for two birds, at least.

She was so happy to see us. We were too. We would like to invite her for lunch. But, since she has already missed so many meals in December in her retirment home, instead, she invited us using her leftover meal coupons because they will expire at the end of each month. The food was great. The conversation was great too. Just she is old and repeats the subjects a lot. Other than that, it was just great.

Her place is not that cheap at all. First, she needs to pay down about $250K for one bedroom apartment. Then every month, she needs to pay about $2,500 for meals and services. When she was sick and lived downstairs with extra cares, she had to pay $2,500 in addition. She told us, if she got sick again, she would like to stay upstairs in her apartment. If she is picked by Heaven in her apartment, then it is okay for her. Just too expensive to stay downstairs while sick and feel lonely. We agreed.

Looking at her and younger generations around us, Mom and I both think we are at our cross roads right now. Hope our health will hold up until the last moment. But who knows. We will be the last one lives in an assistance living place. We would rather stay in our house until the last moment.

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