Thinking about the future

This ordeal with the nursing home has me thinking about the future.  At some point I will get old and I have to consider what to do with myself.  I have no children so I have to make a plan and write it down and keep it in case I ever become incapacitated.  Here's where I am at right now:

Personally I don't want to get old.  Seriously, I don't want to get to the point where I have to consider a nursing home or home attendants.    I am thinking about having a living will or mandate that states that if I get a heart attack or stroke that I do not wish to be resuscitated. Especially if I am 70 years old or more.  The thought is why keep me around if I am going to need care?  I have come to the realization that the purpose of elder care is to get someone paid, even though in most cases the senior is receiving inadequate care.  Not necessarily to the level of abuse but enough that the person getting the care is usually not happy.  When my aunt  was alive there were quite a few days we wondered if anybody was going to come and assist her.  She was in one of the worst case scenarios in that she needed total care.  She had no use of her limbs.  She needed assistance for EVERYTHING.  And the attendants, not all of them but a handful would occasionally no call/no show

You have to be very crafty and very early to preserve anything you earned.  Property in particular.  If you own a home you had better make sure someone else's name is on it or you will lose it.  You should be able to pass your home to your loved ones without such a fuss.

A few years ago I had a hospital visit and I was at Jacobi Hospital for two weeks.  While I was there they almost poisoned me.  I documented that I am allergic to nuts and legumes and they still came around and served food that had nuts and legumes.  If I have to go to a nursing home it will more than likely be because I have some form of dementia.  This means I won't be able to advocate for myself.  Most of these facilities have employees just going through the motions.  They really don't care about food intolerances and allergies.  They just want you fed so they can put you to bed. 

I am working on writing out my final plans now.  At least the health care proxy and living will stuff.  I am even examining possible cancer care if I unfortunately get cancer.  Because of Gahani (my friend who just passed away)  I am seriously looking at how I would want to deal with cancer if I get it.  Gahani went through a brutal recovery before he died.  What's the use of going through chemotherapy and radiation treatments if my quality of life is going to be horrible?