Homeless by choice

Dougie · Veteran Member

Homeless by choice

Happywanderer · The Master

Love your attitude Dougie, when I finally get up your way I will call in for a stop over. Cheers.

Rolly · Guru

Dougie wrote:
Homeless by Choice
.........Just remember that we will all be living in Aged Care Homes at some time in the near future,........

Not if I have anything to do with it, Dougie.

lilly · Senior Member

I am same rolly ...no aged care for me i be hideing out somewhere close to the beach where my kids cant find me lol

Happywanderer · The Master

Can I join you lilly??? We will hide together!!!!

Zoomtopz · Guru

Especially , after seeing the article on aca th other night on retirement-resorts .

lilly · Senior Member

Sure can happywanderer lol u sound bit like me just need some time out from life as we have knowed it lol

Dougie · Veteran Member

Good one guys, lets see what happens when you get there!!

lilly · Senior Member

where that dougie old age or our hiding spot lol

Dougie · Veteran Member

Without sounding disrespectful let me say, my mother who is 87 now, & a tough old bird, said the same thing only 2 years ago whilst living in her own unit in Mildura. She vowed & declared she would never live in Aged Care, but unfortunately the dreaded dementia & macula degeneration altered the course she had set, & I can tell you that I sought advice from several health professionals as her Power of Attorney as to what to do, & the ONLY course of action possible was Aged Care with the medical & practical help she required.
Needless to say, she has no memory at all now, & doesn't even recognise her own son, having sat with her recently for 10 days when she apparantly had a spark between nerve ends & said: " nobody told me you were here" to which I sadly had to advise her of the fact that I had been sitting with her every day for the last 10 days.
Sometimes it's not what you want, but what others deem necessary for your own good.
Foolhardiness is neither sensible nor practical. Just Google the subjects to see your chances of ending up the same way, it's frightening!!
By the way, the waiting list to get into Aged Care is up to 2 years, so who will be the unfortunate person who has to look after you until then?

lilly · Senior Member

yes dougie i know all of that worked in aged care see it all ....but your comment just makes me more egar to get myself on the road and live a bit before i dont have the choice to do what i want to do with my life ,...think we all probley feel bit same way smile

Dougie · Veteran Member

What's that Lilly, don't want to face reality, or think we may be spared? I like the name of one Grey Nomads rig I saw in far north Qld last year: "Adventure before Dementia" How appropriate is that!! I had to laugh at the sensibility of it.

lilly · Senior Member

No i think i live in the real world .. we all get old something no one can excape but hopefully .we all have lots of good years left before we may or maynot have to depend on other to live a life

I say let just do out best to stay as healthy and as active as we can for as long as we can

Dougie · Veteran Member

Here, here. Problem is we might not remember it all!! Damn frightening when you look at the predictions that 1 in 4 over the age of 85 are going to suffer dementia of some sort.
Better enjoy ourselves now & forget about ??? what was that I was thinking about!! & I'm only 65.
You know the feeling I'm sure having worked there, spend some time with these poor devils & you leave feeling you have the symptoms yourself!! Travel & avoid severe depression & stress, that may be the answer.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

I feel for you, Dougie, its dreadful to visit your Mum when shes like that. And I understand how scary it can be.
But its not inevitable. My Mum died with the Big A (Alzheimers), in her 70's, at home. My Dad lived to 103 quite clear-minded, (although grumpy!) and stayed at home till the last week.
One thing that affects our generation is that theres rather more of us, and waiting times for aged care facilities are likely to be impossibly long.
So, I'm with Lily... best to look after our health as much as possible, body and mind. Travel is great, our brains stay active while we are learning new things.
And as Lily and Happywanderer suggested, "being there" for our friends/neighbors/fellow travellers is a great idea. May I join you?

Happywanderer · The Master

Great idea, we will organize a meet in Chinchilla soon after I get my campervan, where we can all sit around the campfire working out ways to stay out of retirement homes.
I worked in them for years and years, some people I looked after were on 100. Couldn't do it anymore after my dear mum passed away at the age of 67 in 1989. It wasn't fair. My husband died of a sudden heart attack at the of age of 61 while at work.
I am going to hit the road and follow my dreams and the ones they weren't allowed to have.

Pejay · Guru

Yep Dougie, know exactly where you are at - my Mum had massive heart surgery 5 years ago, crashed, was revived (against her wishes - she was too busy to worry about those papers and besides maintained she didn't need them!) and as a consequence her mental capacity was affected and my Dad cared for her at home for three years 'til he sucumbed in 2008 - just plain worn out - and we had to place my mum in care AND implement the EPOA at the same time - real trying time. But last week when we went to visit her, and we took down some photos, she sadly did not recognise a photo of herself and Dad, and yeah..... there are other bits but I would rather not go into them, only to say that it is so sad to see a woman who was very firey at times and so on the go to be in this state. The ultimate thing is that I really wish she was not rescusitated (?) 5 years ago, I think I could have handled that a lot better than what we are going through now. A hard and rotten thing to say? no, I personally don't think it is, but that's my opinion.

In the meantime Dougie, my heart goes out to you and I truely do feel how you must be feeling.

June

Dougie · Veteran Member

Thanks Gerty Dancer, Happywanderer & Pejay. Comforting words indeed & I know the problem is prevalent, & is only truly meaningful & hurtful for those who have been thru it all.
Yes Pejay, I've just had to make the decision not to give life support in future for her benefit, as there is no quality of life left & we all know the outcome, hence my decision to down tools, so to speak, & get on with living.