Assisted living

Lake Washington Seattle. 

I didn't get to go see Kay today as I was very busy trying to decide if I should make a move.  There is lots of discussion with the Kids.  Mostly opposed to it.  There are many things to consider.  Health wise I am OK but my eyes are going and what effect that will have is a very important factor.  I wont say anything more as everything is very tenuous and  no decision is even close.  For now I will describe what it is like getting old and having to face your last days. There is a lot of misconceptions about assisted living.  Most people probably think you get signed up and go to a facility.  Then they do everything and you just live and enjoy. Not so.  read the fine print.  It says when you enter the facility that you must be mobile. If you cant get around you will not be there.  If you go blind and can not find your way to the dining room or medical room you will not be there very long.  The NY Times in  a good article on Assisted Living and it is well worth looking up and getting informed if you have an interest in these matters. 
  

Volunteer Park Museum Seattle WAshington

Wednesday 10/23/2013
Here is a copy of a letter I sent to a friend

It's 4:00  and I decided I cant sleep any more.  So got up and made myself a perfect cup of coffee.  I buy the beans and grind them up for coffee

Is your kitten still suffering?  It's easy to get attached to an animal. They dont complain or want anything.  They just want affection. I'm doing    a lot on the blog if you want to keep up with what is going on. Some new stuff.  This place would rather kill me than do what should be done to keep me healthy. I am 92 and my guess is I have lived long enough. What would this world be like if everyone lived to be 90? 

I may be making a lot of posts about what is going on. Of course this may not interest you.  Are you  living alone now?  You come here and we could fix you up with a girlfriend.  However she would be old and and fat and in a wheelchair. Most likely with diabetes too. If you want to know why there are so many divorces in this country see this place.  You see the true nature of a lot of women.  The men may not be all that much to write home about either.  I don't think I am egotistical to say this having been married 72 years.

Doyal
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Comment.  There is a lot going on to keep me here but I want to leave.  I must find out about what happens if I become unable to find my way around because of being blind.  My understanding is that I must be able to navigate around on my own.  I saw a woman jumped on by old stone face.  I wont say which nurse, but this lady was pushing the woman in the wheel chair. She was told not to do it again as it was not permitted.  I think that is because the law states anyone under state jurisdiction housed in an Assisted Living Facility must be mobile on their own. I think I was in error when I accused the insurance company of the restriction.  It's very important though because these people will land  on you like a ton of bricks to stay within the law. They just got over the yearly inspection by the State which got comments from the residents who wanted to complain. 

This is one of the better places to live if you can stand the system. 

My problem is that I am going blind and   that may affect  my ability to remain here if I become unable to get around without help..  It was clearly understood when I came here that I must be mobile to get in.  At that time I didn't think I would get to the stage where my eyesight might make me immobile.  This place was made what it is from an old Tacoma Hotel that cold not make it. So this guy bought it and made it into an assisted living facility. Huge, and almost a block long.  Assisted Living facility is not a state institution but a commercial venture created to take  care of all all of that free government money. Then the state began to make laws regarding their operation.  But these were not created by the state.  It does a lot of good however because it gives a lot of poor people work they would not have otherwise.  Socialism at work,  This is true of all government programs.  If it were not for these government programs this country would look a lot like India or other places with their enormous masses of beggars and unemployed. The free market promoters had their chance during the Industrial Revolution.  There was no government regulation of anything. They had their chance.  No society was more cruel than that one.  Remember Les Miserables?  What about Kidnapped by Robert Stevenson?  What about indentured servants  which was white  slavery?  Existing before black slavery and populating the Colonies then Australia with England's surplus population? What about the Muckrakers of the 20's.  Don't expect any compassion from the industrialist and capitalist if they ran the country. They had their chance.