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Elderly couple removed from longtime home; family, friend dispute Office of Aging findings
Lancaster Online | November 19, 2012 | JEFF HAWKES

Posted on 11/19/2012 6:06:55 PM PST by Timber Rattler

In May 1964, Nels and Irene Highberg bought their first and only home. It was a modest, brick rancher -- no garage -- on a pleasant cul-de-sac on the edge of East Petersburg.

The Highbergs raised two sons there. They entertained neighbors there. They grew old there. After 48 years at 6312 Miriam Circle, the Highbergs -- Nels is 92, Irene is 89 -- figured they could manage a while longer. Family and friends agreed.

But the county Office of Aging stepped in last summer, saying for safety reasons the Highbergs must move to a nursing home.

"I ain't going to go," Highberg said, according to Erick Highberg, the couple's 54-year-old son.

When a van arrived Aug. 2 to take the couple to Oak Leaf Manor in Millersville, Highberg sat in a chair in the driveway for many long minutes. He got in the van only after a police officer showed up.

(snip)

Now that the Highbergs are at Oak Leaf Manor, a new worry for the Highberg family is the possibility of another move to a less expensive, state-subsidized facility because their money is running out.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: aging; home; missinglink; removal; vanity
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

“Son didn’t. Son said that he and his wife, a nurse would move in if necessary so his parents could stay in their home.
But Uncle Sugar knows best.”

It would be very illuminating to understand just how the PA law operates here. There is a lot wrong with government here in CA, but I’ve never heard of anything this outrageous going on here.


81 posted on 11/19/2012 8:47:41 PM PST by vette6387
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To: Jack Hydrazine

Apparently we are there. This happened in East Petersburg PA.


82 posted on 11/19/2012 8:48:36 PM PST by TigersEye (Who is John Galt?)
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To: matginzac
Variations on the Liverpool Pathway sounds good but there have been some horror stories around it too.
83 posted on 11/19/2012 8:48:53 PM PST by 1066AD
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To: Abby4116

scares me to death. I just turned 71 and getting very forgetful.
Can this really be happening in America?


84 posted on 11/19/2012 8:49:57 PM PST by pollywog ("O Thou who changest not, abide with me.".......)
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To: matginzac

I’m thinking more and more now that BO just isn’t right upstairs.


85 posted on 11/19/2012 8:51:10 PM PST by darkangel82 (I don't have a superiority complex, I'm just better than you.)
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To: yarddog

How is your Dad doing?


86 posted on 11/19/2012 8:59:55 PM PST by Mears
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To: darkangel82

You’re just NOW figuring out that he’s tetched?


87 posted on 11/19/2012 9:00:33 PM PST by Brad’s Gramma (Psalm 83)
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To: Timber Rattler

exactly how is this different from prison?

oh yea... the family must pay for them... and once the family has been drained, they will be shipped to the cheapest govt facility possible

it’d be cheaper to have a live in nanny from Thailand. just cover their food & lodgings, with a few more bucks in her pocket, and it’d be all set.

someone should try to get that idea to the family... of course, that assumes the fedgov would let the elderly folks go


88 posted on 11/19/2012 9:04:18 PM PST by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: Mears

Daddy died at age 90 His favorite song was “Life’s railway to Heaven” and the choir sang it at his funeral. Daddy’s Grandfather who I always called “Grandpa Bill” owned a small RR which he used in his sawmill business. When he was a kid Daddy spent a lot of time at his Grandparents and learned to stoke steam engines etc.

Mother’s favorite song was “Beautiful Dreamer” and I asked that it be sung at her funeral. The words seemed to be really appropriate for Mother. We have a cousin who has a professional quality tenor voice and he sang it. I had several people tell me it was the most touching funeral they had ever been at.

A few weeks later at a family reunion, he was asked to sing it again to honor Mother.


89 posted on 11/19/2012 9:10:00 PM PST by yarddog (One shot one miss.)
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To: Timber Rattler

It’s important for Americans to understand that doctors are mostly liberal elitist agents of the government via Obamacare. They will be used for social engineers and informants in the name of socialism’s well being.

Learn to be mindful in how you use them and in what you tell them. They will have the mission and power to sic gov. agents on people.


90 posted on 11/19/2012 9:11:31 PM PST by SaraJohnson
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To: Timber Rattler

Was thinking of that when reading the headline, “Soylent Green!”


91 posted on 11/19/2012 9:33:24 PM PST by zerosix (Native sunflowerw)
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To: Timber Rattler
This is strange we are looking for something for her mother and can't find anything but "resort" type communities for thousands a month, something we or she can't afford.

She is 83 and has COPD, Osteoporosis, kidney issues and uses a walker. Her house isn't worth all that much, so I guess that's why no one is knocking. She would gladly give up the house for care for the rest of her life.

92 posted on 11/19/2012 9:35:41 PM PST by this_ol_patriot
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To: Timber Rattler

I did home health care for a sweet lady of 94. 5 hours a day, making lunch/dinner and if I got bored pulled weeds and took care of her lovely ourside gold fish pond, summer and winter...as she got stronger, she did her own outside work and I had to tell her to take a break when she started to get SOB (short of breath) when her CHF acted up I took her to her doctor...she lived in her own home until passing on at 96. Went to the beauty shop once a week and sometimes went with me to do grocery shopping......old does not mean not able to do what we call ADL (activities of daily living) I knew her before I started to take care of her, she was my son in laws grandmother...the neighbors visited to make sure I was OK....I charged her for my work, basically as a home nurse, but loved to do other things around her house....GG


93 posted on 11/19/2012 9:39:12 PM PST by goat granny
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To: berdie

“Just curious..did this happen in the US?”

The first thing that came to mind when I read this was that this must be from Lancaster, UK...


94 posted on 11/19/2012 9:42:32 PM PST by Frank_2001
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To: Timber Rattler
...Oak Leaf Manor in Millersville...

Not a bad looking place, we looked at places like this, I could buy a 300k home for what they change a month.

Oak Leaf Manor

95 posted on 11/19/2012 9:52:33 PM PST by this_ol_patriot
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To: TigersEye

You do a great job of taking care of mom. I know since I am lucky enough to talk to her. My sister put my dad in a nursing home after a stroke so he could learn to walk again. He was already using a wheelchair & basically the nursing home did what is called granny napping. They refused to release him although we had aides in 24/7 when we couldn’t be there. Of course they wanted the house etc. He was quite able to fix meals etc. We tried to fight them but it was clear they wouldn’t release him even if I moved into his house.


96 posted on 11/19/2012 10:16:45 PM PST by pandoraou812 (I have a very firm grasp on reality! I can reach out and strangle it any time!)
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To: Frank_2001; berdie

Unfortunately it was in Lancaster county PA.


97 posted on 11/19/2012 10:21:13 PM PST by TigersEye (Who is John Galt?)
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To: pollywog
Scares me too.

I can understand the state not wanting these people to drive (the couple mentioned in the article) but honestly, if the couple was not putting others at risk by staying at home, the state should have absolutely no say about it.

98 posted on 11/20/2012 4:04:59 AM PST by Abby4116
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To: jboot

You are so right...thanks for the input!


99 posted on 11/20/2012 4:37:06 AM PST by blueyon (The U. S. Constitution - read it and weep)
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To: terycarl; ladyjane

Not nonsense. I’ve seen hydration witheld four times in my own family-once by a nursing home, once by a hospital and twice by hospice care. In all three cases the decision-maker (not me) was told that it was to “alleviate suffering” and “hasten the inevitable.” Three of those relatives were aware and communicative whent the decision was made, but nobody asked them.


100 posted on 11/20/2012 5:51:13 AM PST by jboot (This isn't your father's America. Stay safe and keep your powder dry.)
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