Who Pays for Your Final Days?

I live in a rural area of stereotypical folk who get up every day and work hard, pay their bills on time, and save up for retirement and to leave an inheritance for their kids. These people plug away day in and day out, year in and year out, enjoying the good times and stoically enduring the bad. They don't look to anyone for a handout of any kind, and if a neighbor is in need everybody pitches in to help.

It surprises me how many of these salt-of-the-earth men and women completely lose their reason when they begin to realize they won't be able to care for their aging parents at home forever. Suddenly, they're calling attorneys and accountants - looking for ways to "hide" their parents' assets from "The Government", because everybody knows that "The Government" will "take everything you got" to pay for nursing home care! Tyranny! Thievery!

To which I say, "Whoa!!"

Somehow in America we have come to the uncontested conclusion that when we get old and need to go to the old folks home, "The Government" should pay for it. All of it.

Why is that? Most of them never expected "The Government" to take care of them before this circumstance. (that's why this county is full of Republicans) Why do they suddenly look to the feds when they're becoming feeble?

Here's my take on the matter. The money we earn goes to pay for our shelter, food, and transportation. We save some for retirement, so that when we're not able to work full time any longer we will still have enough money for our shelter, food, and transportation. That money should continue to be used for our shelter and food and transportation until we die. Period. If we're able to accomplish that outside of any nursing home walls, so much the better! If our situation requires us to spend our last days INside a nursing home, our assets should still foot the bill for our care. If there happens to be something of value remaining after the funeral, then our kids can split it between them.

Why should yours and my tax dollars (which is where "The Government" gets it) go to pay for someone in a nursing home before all of their assets have been spent? While I do not mind helping someone out when they are truly down on their luck, I have a big problem with footing the bills for anyone who really has the funds to pay for themselves. It's all part of personal responsibility, to my way of thinking.

I realize that means the children's inheritance would likely be used up by the parents that earned it. But - isn't that the way it should be?

What do you think?