Pet peeve alert! Irritated about the whole "living on a cruise ship is cheaper than a nursing home" thing... anyone else?

[disykat]

Does this currently popular notion bug anyone else? Having spent lots of time in senior care facilities in the last few years, the idea makes me cringe. I certainly believe that it might be cheaper than a nursing home, but what about the care? People don't move into nursing homes unless they need care - at the very least, medication management and help with a couple of adult daily living tasks. Do people not know what nursing homes are? While I see how it's an attractive option for healthy seniors who still like to travel and do activities, but that's not who lives in nursing homes! ERG. The comparison should be with a senior residence apartment that provides meals and housekeeping, and that is NOT the same thing as a nursing home. NO ONE wants to contemplate going into nursing care, but sadly it can be a reality.

 

[GBRforWDW]

Do people not know what nursing homes are? While I see how it's an attractive option for healthy seniors who still like to travel and do activities, but that's not who lives in nursing homes! ERG.

Yeah, at least update the phrasing to cheaper than assisted living facility. But even then, the workers of a cruise ship are neither trained to care for specific circumstances nor should they be put in the position to be your personal assistant on cruise after cruise unless you’re paying the full concierge price

 

[disykat]

Yes. However, even "assisted living" is not available on cruise ships. Assisted living is when there is a need for some level of supervision. Seniors on cruise ships would need to be at what is considered "independent living" meaning some meals and entertainment may be provided, but no help for daily living tasks. My parents were in independent living (so they wouldn't need to grocery shop, etc. because food and housekeeping were available) until they needed daily medication help, etc. Frankly, they wouldn't have been able to cruise independently even when they were still at "independent living" level. I am currently prepping for a cruise and even figuring that out would have been impossible by the time they were ready for any kind of senior living. To live on a cruise ship, you'd have to be able to figure out how to book all your cruises, get yourself to your next cruise, etc. I was helping my parents with some of those kinds of decisions while they were still in their home! They moved to senior leveled living when they started having difficulty living at home and knew they had some health issues that were going to problematic for them soon. If you're still able to make all your own arrangements, and not anticipating issues, why would you be in any level of care?

 

[georgina]

I am not familiar with the statement in the title. Where or among what group is that being said? Is it something healthy older folks joke about to explain why they cruise a lot? It doesn’t sound like a serious comment to me.

after taking a 1 week Viking river cruise I got some offers from them for 4 or 5 month cruises, but I just laughed about that.

 

[JLTraveling]

Yes. However, even "assisted living" is not available on cruise ships. Assisted living is when there is a need for some level of supervision. Seniors on cruise ships would need to be at what is considered "independent living" meaning some meals and entertainment may be provided, but no help for daily living tasks. My parents were in independent living (so they wouldn't need to grocery shop, etc. because food and housekeeping were available) until they needed daily medication help, etc. Frankly, they wouldn't have been able to cruise independently even when they were still at "independent living" level. I am currently prepping for a cruise and even figuring that out would have been impossible by the time they were ready for any kind of senior living. To live on a cruise ship, you'd have to be able to figure out how to book all your cruises, get yourself to your next cruise, etc. I was helping my parents with some of those kinds of decisions while they were still in their home! They moved to senior leveled living when they started having difficulty living at home and knew they had some health issues that were going to problematic for them soon. If you're still able to make all your own arrangements, and not anticipating issues, why would you be in any level of care?

I agree. My grandmother moved into a complex that offered both independent living and assisted living, the idea being that she could remain independent for as long as possible (with food and housekeeping provided) and then just switch apartments later on. She passed in the hospital after a short illness, so never actually used the assisted living side. But she showed us around, and there was a LOT of help on that side. Definitely not comparable to cruise ship life.

 

[tvguy]

I am not familiar with the statement in the title. Where or among what group is that being said? Is it something healthy older folks joke about to explain why they cruise a lot? It doesn’t sound like a serious comment to me.

after taking a 1 week Viking river cruise I got some offers from them for 4 or 5 month cruises, but I just laughed about that.

Been a very common statement for decades so nothing new, at least as far back as 1985 which is when my mom retired and jokingly said that is what she wanted to do if she needed assistance. This article is from 6 years ago.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...n-for-seniors-than-assisted-living/106265900/
This article if from 19 years ago. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC526150/

 

[tvguy]

Yes. However, even "assisted living" is not available on cruise ships. Assisted living is when there is a need for some level of supervision. Seniors on cruise ships would need to be at what is considered "independent living" meaning some meals and entertainment may be provided, but no help for daily living tasks. My parents were in independent living (so they wouldn't need to grocery shop, etc. because food and housekeeping were available) until they needed daily medication help, etc. Frankly, they wouldn't have been able to cruise independently even when they were still at "independent living" level. I am currently prepping for a cruise and even figuring that out would have been impossible by the time they were ready for any kind of senior living. To live on a cruise ship, you'd have to be able to figure out how to book all your cruises, get yourself to your next cruise, etc. I was helping my parents with some of those kinds of decisions while they were still in their home! They moved to senior leveled living when they started having difficulty living at home and knew they had some health issues that were going to problematic for them soon. If you're still able to make all your own arrangements, and not anticipating issues, why would you be in any level of care?

I think some are figuring in the cost of bringing their own caregiver on board to handle any assistance. Not any different than folks that hire a live in caregiver to help them in their own homes.

 

[disykat]

Bringing a caregiver along would be a cool idea, but I really can't imagine that would be cost effective - they'd have to pay salary and for their cruise!

 

[White Cat]

Does this currently popular notion bug anyone else? Having spent lots of time in senior care facilities in the last few years, the idea makes me cringe. I certainly believe that it might be cheaper than a nursing home, but what about the care? People don't move into nursing homes unless they need care - at the very least, medication management and help with a couple of adult daily living tasks. Do people not know what nursing homes are? While I see how it's an attractive option for healthy seniors who still like to travel and do activities, but that's not who lives in nursing homes! ERG. The comparison should be with a senior residence apartment that provides meals and housekeeping, and that is NOT the same thing as a nursing home. NO ONE wants to contemplate going into nursing care, but sadly it can be a reality.

I have heard this mentioned several times and as tv guy brought up it’s nothing new at all. And no it doesn’t bother me at all when I do hear it.

 

[disykat]

As someone who has spent the last approx. 7 years caring for elderly parents, it just paints such a ridiculously unrealistic picture. Need nursing care? Nah, just take a cruise - same thing! If only!

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I've heard it before too, I thought it sounded pretty ridiculous.

 

[princesscinderella]

I hope to be that old lady living on a cruise ship so no it doesn’t bother me at all. I’m sure those who live on the ship are not in need of nursing home care which is much more extensive but more like they can’t see well and drive anymore so being on a ship that’s self contained where they no longer have a home to maintain and food 24 hours a day and activities available is much preferred to an assisted living. Just the mindset for a person that they are comfortable living on a cruise having fun and depending on the ship seeing the world vs having to leave independent living and being in an “old folks home” is huge and can huge effects on their health. I’m sure a cruise life would keep them much more active than the latter which usually equates to longevity.

 

[_19disnA]

Doesn't bother me because lots of people say nonsensical things, whether in poorly researched articles, online or even in person. If anyone has a parent living in assisted/independent living, you know it is an apples/oranges comparison.

 

[easyas123]

I've heard about/read about folks who decided to live aboard because it was cheaper than renting/living somewhere in retirement, but I've never heard of folks living aboard when in need of a nursing facility or senior care.

 

[Sacahara]

As someone who did their CNA stint in a nursing home...I told my family that 'I'd rather put you on a cruise ship than in that _ hole! You'd get better care!' Now, it depends on the facility but the ones near me are absolutely horrible and I'd be dead before I let my family go into any of them. And while, yes, cruise ships and their employees aren't set up for caring for people who need that, they're about on par with the facility I did my final training in minus a licensing requirement!

But those are just the ones near me, there are reportedly great nursing homes out there! Just do your research and remember when they know you're coming or going to be there, that's when they're on their best behavior so it can really tell you something when they're still awful while in your presence, you can only imagine how they are when you're not around.

 

[goofyernmost]

I seriously doubt that anyone that actually needed a nursing home of any degree would ever feel that a cruise ship is the best place to be, even if it is cheaper. Like stated by the OP, nursing home residents are not there as a choice. They are there when the need exists for a certain degree of assistance. Cruise ships are for the able bodied and wouldn't be in need, so why pay more. Even then I don't think very many people make a cruise ship their home. For one thing cruise ships go through periodic maintenance times when no one could be aboard and sometimes remodeling, same thing.

The phrase that a cruise ship is cheaper than a nursing home is used more as a comparison and not as a choice. If a person has enough wealth to live on a ship and have the health to do so, then why not? However, that choice was not between a nursing home and a cruise ship. The two are not connected, so no reason to get all verklempt about it.

 

[kdonnel]

The stories I have read are talking about how living on a cruise ship can be cheaper than a mortgage.

None I have read talk about it being a replacement for assisted living or skilled nursing care.

For someone healthy it seems like a fun idea.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

Yeah it's a wonderful replacement for a fully independent living situation. A nursing home is not a fully independent living situation.

 

[goofyernmost]

As someone who did their CNA stint in a nursing home...I told my family that 'I'd rather put you on a cruise ship than in that _ hole! You'd get better care!' Now, it depends on the facility but the ones near me are absolutely horrible and I'd be dead before I let my family go into any of them. And while, yes, cruise ships and their employees aren't set up for caring for people who need that, they're about on par with the facility I did my final training in minus a licensing requirement!

But those are just the ones near me, there are reportedly great nursing homes out there! Just do your research and remember when they know you're coming or going to be there, that's when they're on their best behavior so it can really tell you something when they're still awful while in your presence, you can only imagine how they are when you're not around.

First off, they only reason why nursing homes are allowed to not treat there patients correctly is because the family is not paying attention or caring enough to spend more time making sure there family members are being treated well. Also they are mostly the low end places that are definately cheaper then a cruise ship. Besides the fact that homes include 24 hour per day personal care and medical support, a cruise ship would not. I suppose one could also pay for a Doctor to cruise with them but that would wipe out any savings.

I don't know where you spent time, but it is more the exception than the rule in the overall industry and because of the few the majority should not be assumed to be the same.

 

[Sacahara]

First off, they only reason why nursing homes are allowed to not treat there patients correctly is because the family is not paying attention or caring enough to spend more time making sure there family members are being treated well. Also they are mostly the low end places that are definately cheaper then a cruise ship. Besides the fact that homes include 24 hour per day personal care and medical support, a cruise ship would not. I suppose one could also pay for a Doctor to cruise with them but that would wipe out any savings.

I don't know where you spent time, but it is more the exception than the rule in the overall industry and because of the few the majority should not be assumed to be the same.

Oh, yeah, I know! That's why I also mention the research part! The one I was at got shut down after all of us students reported it and it FINALLY got inspected! It was atrocious!