Hacker News Reader

Comment by doopy1 | Hacker News Reader

I remember reading this when it was published. It's so terrifying and sad. At least he had money to afford near constant care towards the end, but how many folks have illnesses like these and are hung out to dry due to poor finances?

View on HN

This is such an alien concept as a non-American. Lack of money should not mean lack of medical care in any developed nation, let alone the “richest and greatest”

Yes, it's barbaric. At the moment, likely half of Americans have no health insurance.

What kind of programs do non-US countries have to take care of people with mental illness? The actual medical care would be easier to get for sure, but the type of care described in the article ("She bought a 5,000-square-foot house on an acre of California's Central Coast, a spot they chose in the hope that his father, Rendon, could walk with him along the shore. She worked with a landscape architect to tailor the outdoor space to Lee's needs...") seems like it would be hard to get in any country.

> but how many folks have illnesses like these and are hung out to dry due to poor finances?

There’s a large difference between what you describe and the parent comment.

They get disability benefits towards financing care, or subsidization towards hiring a full time caregiver.

It's very expensive to support dementia patients. They need as much care as a baby, but have adult weight and capabilities. You might be in trouble even in a country with a great support system. You need to have someone there every single day for most of the waking hours.

Medical care is one thing, but having an estate that's tailored to your comfort is available only to the wealthy anywhere and that's what I was referring to primarily.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com