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kathydwells

Darlene is my middle name, not my nickname
Dec 20, 2004
13,303
420
64
Lacey's Spring, Alabama
I think we need some humor around here. ;-)

Recently I was checking my 401k account and thinking about retirement, as everyone does when they hit 45. I saw an article about nursing and retirement homes and the expenses. Then it hit me. No nursing home for
me!

Here is my plan: I'm checking into the Holiday Inn.

With the average cost for a nursing home reaching $188 per day, there is a better way when we get old and feeble. I have already checked on reservations at the Holiday Inn. For a combined long-term stay discount and senior discount, it is $49.23 per night. That leaves $138.77 a day for breakfast, lunch, dinner in any restaurant I want, or room service.

It also will leave enough for laundry, gratuities, and special TV movies. Plus, I'll get a swimming pool, a workout room, a lounge, and washer and dryer. I'll also get free toothpaste, razors, shampoo and soap. And I'll be treated like a customer, not a patient. Five dollars worth of tips a day will have the entire staff scrambling.

There is a city bus stop out front, and seniors ride free. The handicap bus will also pick me up if I fake a decent limp. Ride the church bus free on Sundays. For a change of scenery, take the airport shuttle bus and eat at one of the nice restaurants there. While you're at the airport, fly somewhere.

Meanwhile, the cash keeps building up. It takes months to get into decent nursing homes. On the other hand, Holiday Inn will take your reservations today. And you are not stuck in one place forever -- you can move from Inn to Inn, or even from city to city. Want to see Hawaii? They have a Holiday Inn there, too.

TV broken? Light bulbs need changing? Need a mattress replaced? No problem. They fix everything and apologize for the inconvenience.

The Inn has a night security person and daily room service. The maid checks if you are OK. If not, they will call the undertaker or an ambulance. If you fall and break a hip, Medicare will pay for the hip, and Holiday Inn will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.

And no worries about visits from family. They will always be glad to visit you, and probably check in for a mini-vacation.

The grandkids can use the pool. What more can you ask for? When I discussed my plan with friends, they came up with even more benefits that Holiday Inn provides retirees. Most standard rooms have coffee makers, reclining chairs, and satellite TV -- all you need to enjoy a cozy afternoon. After a movie and a good nap, you can check on your children free local phone calls), then take a stroll to the lounge or restaurant where you meet new and exotic people every day. Many Holiday Inns even feature live entertainment on the weekends. Often they have special offers, too, like the Kids Eat Free program. You can invite your grandkids over after school to have a free dinner with you. Just tell them not to bring more than three friends.

Pick a Holiday Inn where they allow pets, and your best friend can keep you company as well. If you want to travel, but are a bit skittish about unfamiliar surroundings, you'll always feel at home because wherever you go, the rooms all look the same. And if you're getting a little absent-minded in your old days, you never have to worry about not finding your room -- your electronic key fits only one door and the helpful bellman or desk clerk is on duty 24/7.

Being natural skeptics, we called a Holiday Inn to check out the feasibility of my plan. I'm happy to report that they were positively giddy at the idea of us checking in for a year or more. They even offered to negotiate the rate. We could have easily knocked them down to $40 a night!

"So, when I reach the golden age I'll face it with a grin. Just forward all your emails to the Holiday Inn!"
 

SHELLY

SoWal Insider
Jun 13, 2005
5,763
803
@ $1300 per week, one could usually find a cheapie inside room on a cruise ship--meals, room service, maid service, towel animals, chocolates on your pillow and entertainment....just BYOB and you're pretty much set.

.
 

smcdon2

Beach Comber
Jan 18, 2007
47
2
54
Cincinnati, OH.
:clap: That's about the funniest thing that I've read in a long time :clap:

What a great idea! In addition, there are Holiday Inn hotels in over 70 countries around the world, so there would be no end to the travel adventures that await you.

Just think about the rewards points that you would rack up. At $40 per night, you would earn 10 Priority Club? points for every $1 USD (or local currency equivalent) spent on eligible charges. Only counting the room rate and nothing for food, drinks, etc... 145,600 points per year can get you some excellent rewards...

You might even be able to redeem the points for a new hip or dentures when the time is right :D
 
Darlene, that's exactly what I thought when I found out how much Mom's care was gonna cost -- she could check into a motel room and be on a permanent vacation!

The only flaw with my plan is that she'd still need someone to monitor her to make sure she takes her meds, eats and bathes (Mom forget to do these things), etc. Paying for that type of care is what costs a boatload of money, not the room and board.
 

audie

fartblossom
May 15, 2005
10,946
27
:D i saw an article on this exact thing not too long ago, and it mentioned the cruise ship options too - i will have to tell my parents about this
 

Mango

SoWal Insider
Apr 7, 2006
9,699
1,368
New York/ Santa Rosa Beach
I could just see it now. "The Incontinence Adventure Boat" by Detrol Cruise Line.

Once you get the incontinence under control, instead of towel animals or Depends, you get a purple pill.
 
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