I meant to add that, for the average pensioner, 2000 euros would be unaffordable. Many do not receive any thing near that amount to live on every month. Even if it was affordable, any proceeds from house sale or savings would rapidly disappear; then what would happen?
I do agree that ex pats putting off this potential problem until relatives are forced to intervene , possibly going against the parent's wishes, are selfish.
That's why it needs to be sorted while they are compos mentis and physically able. It's unfair to expect relatives to take on this burden.

A slight tad off topic but a friend recently asked me whether I wanted to invest in a 'Gay' Nursing home.

Given the recent bad press about treatment of gays and lesbians in some places by some staff who may be from less tolerant backgrounds it might just be success.

A few of the numbers seem to stack up. Older gay people are far less likely to have anyone to care for them than heterosexuals.

Can you imagine the days out.

Not running down the UK, but the whole point is that it's never the right time to leave. All you can do is get cover, or hope it doesn't happen. You still have to pay for care in the UK and if you have no money, you only get the minimum and are still left to die.

I think you would find such a establishment would be termed discriminatory

At least if the money runs out you will still be cared for, NOT left to die. What would happen in Spain?

We've had too much emphasis on the differences between the UK and Spain about care under the respective government health services. I don't think there is much difference between them, especially taking joint membership of the EU into account.

The big problem for legal expats in Spain (mainly pensioners) is their understanding of the language and system in Spain, both are vastly different to the UK, language being the obvious one. For a visit to the Spanish Social services you need to be totally fluent, they are even less helpful than trafico.

The government will always contact family first and if you don't have family, there are agreements within the EU.

why ??
there are gay pubs, gay restaurants,

now if you were to say the Black Police Federation was discriminatory I might agree

I am sure we all know of, let's say - extreme alternatives, such as suicide, assisted suicide etc.
When it gets too bad then it may be too late in making decisions because your care has been taken over by somebody else.

The BH's mother died just over a year ago after over 5 years of rapidly developing Alzheimers. I really felt for the BH when we had been sitting there talking about people she knew well, what we had been doing etc for her to pipe up after about an hour and say "Well it has been really nice of you to come. Did you say who you were?"
She used to get her young granddaughter visit on Sundays with her father and yet would tell everyone he never ever visited her and had never seen her granddaughter - "have I got one?".

by then it is most definitely too late......

I have parents and parents in law who are entering that stage of there life.
On one side they feel right to be look after and the other would prefer for their children not to remember them this way. Not easy in each case.

At the moment I (like many I know who have gone through it) plan to get access to a scerton company in switzerland, but I guess I will chicken out and try to get each extra minute of life, even with it being horrible and tearing apart everybody I love.

The problem I see is not leaving it too late, but being force to do it to early.

In general there does seem to be taboo about speaking about your wishes for the last part.

There was a lot of talk about this a year or so ago and the discriminatory aspect was brought up. No-one will be stopped from making use of this care faclility

I don't remember that thread. Any idea where it is?

In another place.

I think that's a brilliant and bloody good idea!!!
I don't think it's in the least bit discriminatory, just put "gay friendly" nursing home, maybe a gay bandana as well lol, that way it's likely to put off non gay and encourage gay.....and why not?, how many gay people have kids to leave their inheritance to? They could spend their money in a place that wont discriminate them.

I was thinking more of returning home to the UK rather than our home in the sky, and think that the 'sky' home is not being discussed because to accelerate the process is still illegal in most countries.

And to die with dignity in Switzerland is not cheap and requires an inordinate amount of courage, in my view. And the necessary assistance from a fearless helper who could go to prison for his act of mercy.

I've watched extreme suffering by extremely close relatives in their final suffering on more than one occasion, and it's absolutely helpless horror. If it had been somehow allowed, I would have pulled out a gun to shoot them and not worried about the consequences for myself.

In two quite recent cases, I wish I had.