A few years ago my grandparents (my dad’s side) died at 99 and 100 years old. They died a few months apart, both of them still at home. They never went to a care facility.
I don’t hope to live that long, but I certainly have some long living genetics.
This is kind-of morbid, but I have a death plan. I don’t want to live into my 90s. So…if I’m in my 80’s and things start to go downhill, I plan on going backcountry skiing on a high avalanche day.
Avalanches aren’t random…they’re predictable within a certain range.
Imagine…I could go out and ski the perfect slope. If it avalanches and I die, I win.
If it doesn’t avalanche, I win with the perfect ski run!
Ok…this is unlikely to actually happen, I admit.
To the Philippines…
This June, my OFS’s Jam and Julia traveled to Manila to visit Jam’s parents. When they told me about it, I said, “It’s great that you’re visiting family for vacation! It’s been so long since you’ve seen them.”
Julia was like, “No, it’s not a vacation. We’re going there because the family asked us to help care for Jam’s elderly parents.”
Retirement care and nursing homes exist in the Philippines. But culturally, it’s not something they’re comfortable with. Financially, it’s not something that most Filipinos can afford. The facilities that do exist in that country mainly cater to expats.
In the Philippines, you’re expected to care for your parents as they age. This is why most Filipino continue to live with their parents, even after they get married. Those that do move out are expected to live close by so they can keep tabs on their family. The only exception to this is when you have to move away for work.
There’s an advantage to this setup. Living with or close to your parents means you don’t have to worry about childcare. Your parents can help watch over your child while you work. You don’t have to worry about rent if your parents own their home. Or at the very least, it’s easier to pay rent with more people contributing.
Retirement homes in the Philippines are super expensive. Prices start at $1665/month for assisted living. It gets more expensive for seniors that need more medical care.
As you can imagine, it can get pretty crowded. Julia sent me this picture.
She and Jam are working in a common area while the parents and cousins and aunts are there.
If your OFS can work with all that chaos around them, they really are rockstars.
One way you can turn your OFS into a rockstar is to make sure they have the training they need. Give them that training: VAsMadeEasy.com
You can buy all our training or just pick and choose whatever is right for you.
John