Saturday, June 21, 2014
By Camille Giglio
The Father’s Day edition of the Contra Costa Times, a California daily, carried an advertisement for a senior living facility in the local area. The wording implies that good ole Mom and Pop who moved in with you and your family are in need of continual care, but are still swingers. However, you may want to get away for a while and don’t know what to do with the folks. You need to have some privacy and peace of mind yourself.
Aegis says: just drop Mom and Pop off for a couple of weeks with us. We’ll feed them, take them on walks, let them romp with others their age and socialize all day long.
Where did these folks get the idea for this advertisement…. after visiting the local dog kennel?
The whole thing sounds kind of cute, but it’s really a business promotion. A friend living in North Carolina said it reminded her of a project called “Project Compassion,” in which churches would sign up to provide family caregivers with volunteer “well-trained” caregivers for respite care. Trained in what? Taking the old folks on a planned guilt trip?
You’ve probably received mailers inviting you to spend the weekend at luxury seaside hotel and condominium facility such and such. Once there you are urged to consider moving in permanently. The weekend stay is just a come-on.
Aegis is, like so many other elder care facilities, participating in the promotion of something called, the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care C-TAC. It’s all a part of the Obama Affordable Care Act. The goal is to obtain the confidence of the community that only the professional knows how to care for Grandma and Grandpa.
The planned, sustainable community is soon to be coming to your town. The planners are fashioning a place for you. If you are over 65 you will be encouraged to transition over to a group home where you can be properly and professionally looked after.
Senior care businesses like Aegis, Vitas, and other MediCare and hospice-type facilities are reminiscent of the the song, Hotel California, by the 70s rock group The Eagles: ‘You can check out, but you never leave.’
