10:15am | Last July, an elder care expert, Dr. Marion Somers, approached non profit 3-in-4 in order to team up with an idea: give someone who is taking care of the elderly — undoubtedly a full-time job — and reverse their life by making over their entire home.
The idea behind it is simple: long-term care is not provided by Medicare and most insurance companies, leaving many to either care for their elder loved ones alone, therefore dropping their usual professions or, if they are affluent enough, have them become residents at a fully-operating facility. In fact, 70% of persons over the age of 65 are estimated to be in need of long-term care and the impact of this — financially, physically, and emotionally — is often disregarded by most until the need for long-term care suddenly hits. Given this, Dr. Marion (as she prefers to be called), felt it obligatory to give back to one person who has dedicated their life to making sure their loved one has a better life.
As she puts it, ““Millions of Americans are handling their loved ones’ long-term needs, but are literally
falling apart in the process.”
After applicants across the nation applied, Long Beacher and self-admitted KISS fanatic John Simich received a total home makeover last week. His application detailed the troubles, frustrations, and even bittersweetness that comes with caring for his 87-year-old mother, who suffers from Stage 2 dementia.
The “Get Your Life Back” contest was sponsored by One Reverse Mortgage.
