There’s a lot that can be said about the care senior citizens needs and get in the U.S. (1) but Terry Robinson seems to be going against the grain on most issues. Having determined that nursing homes are just too expensive for him, Terry has instead chosen to spend his golden years in Holiday Inns.
“No nursing home for us. We’ll be checking into a Holiday Inn!” Terry shared on Facebook:
His reasoning? It’s pretty simple – nursing homes average at ~$188 per day while Holiday Inn amounts to $59.23 when you account for a senior discount and a long-term stay discount.
That’s more than enough for Terry who adds “That leaves $128.77 a day for lunch and dinner in any restaurant we want, or room service, laundry, gratuities, and special TV movies. Plus, they provide a spa, swimming pool, a workout room, a lounge, and washer-dryer, etc. Most have free toothpaste and razors, and all have free shampoo and soap.”
Another thing Terry loves about his idea is the freedom that comes with it.
“They treat you like a customer, not a patient,” Terry mentioned. “$5 worth of tips a day and you’ll have the entire staff scrambling to help you.”
Plus, he also has suggestions for when you inevitably get bored from your stay at a standard Holiday Inn:
“There’s a city bus stop out front, and seniors ride free. The handicap bus will also pick you up (if you fake a decent limp). To meet other nice people, call a church bus on Sundays. For a change of scenery, take the airport shuttle bus and eat at one of the nice restaurants there. While you’re at the airport, fly somewhere.”
Additionally, because there are many Holiday Inns around the country, you won’t be confined to a single home.
“And you’re not stuck in one place forever, you can move from Inn to Inn, or even from city to city. Want to see Hawaii? They have a Holiday Inn there too.”
Of course, Terry’s bizarre idea has its drawbacks and its critics. Caroline Cicero, a professor of gerontology at the University of Southern California shared that her main problem with Terry’s idea is that it’s just impractical for many seniors.
“This is all just based on the idea that you have nothing else to do but check-in and out of a Holiday Inn and take an airport shuttle,” Cicero commented. “And that’s just not based in reality. Many seniors have physical disabilities that mean they need assistance with tasks like bathing, eating, and getting dressed. For them, living in a hotel alone wouldn’t be possible.”
In other words, the ~$100+ per day nursing homes charge over a Holiday Inn isn’t just surplus but it goes for the nursing services themselves and not just for the roof over your head.
Still, Terry’s idea is definitely not without its merits either.