Hi,
I am writing this blog to document my dad and mom's journey through old age, the healthcare process that goes along with it, and the financial and legal process that also makes the whole thing even more complicated. I first thought that maybe it would be a good idea to write in the first person as my dad, but decided against that idea because it would seem too confusing as to who is doing the talking - me or my dad.

The postings will not necessarily be entirely chronological since much "healthcare" has already happened to them. This blog is not intended to be political and also certainly not intended to give legal or financial advice of any kind. From time to time, I may add postings that tell in general, what I have experienced and it may prompt people to go search out their own legal or financial advice from professionals who are capabile of providing it. Nothing that I say should be considered professional advice.

The main gist of this blog will be from a "ground level" point of view of what I have experienced in the last years in helping my mom and dad in their old age process.

Several years ago, the company where I worked was bought out and our jobs were moving to Kansas City. I elected to stay in Troy, Ohio because I felt a responsibility to be around for my mom and dad as they got older and trying to do this from a long distance did not seem to work. So now I work at a hospital, not in a clinical job, but rather in information processing working with clinical data. I have been exposed to a very small amount of the lingo and processes of health care (but am not ready to play a doctor on TV by a long shot). I know the very basics such as the fact that doctors order and sign for medications and procedures and these orders have to be coded so that they can be billed (and collected). Without the proper coding, insurance companies or Medicare will not pay. Did I say that I am in no way intending to give any professional advice - oh yeah, above.

Anyway, at this point on the chronological scale, my mom has died, my dad is in a nursing home, and my wife and I are getting his house ready to sell because after he has a spend down, we will have to apply for Medicaid for him. So the old age healthcare wheel is turning and frankly, it is not the most fun process in the world. I can think of many more things that are a lot more fun for sure, but this is life and it is what it is.