HowToLiveWorse

CHAPTER 17 · 10 SOURCE ENTRIES

Caring for Aging Parents

家里有老人

[← 回总目录](../README.md) 口径：金钱与人身自由。家里有老人，多数麻烦不是钱不够，是没提前把话说清楚、把字签好。最后三条讲长期卧床的压疮、白内障手术和老人遛狗摔骨折，按死亡率算账，不和本节其他条目比较。

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17-001
Evidence AmoneySource-sensitive

While the elderly are still lucid, designate a future guardian in writing

趁老人清醒，书面指定将来的监护人

While an elderly person still has a clear mind, it’s worth spending a few hundred yuan to have a written document notarized, naming who will serve as their guardian. Without such a document, once they lose decision-making capacity, a court must decide who gets to sign on their behalf and manage their finances. If family members disagree, the process can drag on even longer.

Open the low-ROI detour

Move “While the elderly are still lucid, designate a future guardian in writing” to Future Me's calendar

One more exception feels free because the bill arrives outside the current scene.

Today I keep a little money, a few minutes, a bit of persistence and avoid interrupting my default routine.

Read the source and trade-off
17-002
Evidence Amoney

Make a will — remember that later ones override earlier ones, and notarized wills no longer take priority

把遗嘱立了，记住后立的推翻先立的，公证遗嘱不再优先

The law recognizes six types of wills, but a single mistake in the format can render the entire document invalid — this is the most common pitfall. A handwritten will must be written entirely by the testator, signed, and dated. If multiple wills exist and they conflict, the last one signed prevails. Since 2021, a notarized will no longer automatically takes precedence over others.

Open the low-ROI detour

Move “Make a will — remember that later ones override earlier ones, and notarized wills no longer take priority” to Future Me's calendar

I can spend longer deciding whether to start than the small action would take.

Today I keep a few minutes, a bit of persistence and avoid interrupting my default routine.

Read the source and trade-off
17-003
Evidence CmoneySource-sensitive

Keep the elderly person’s money in a separate account and set a rule requiring two people to approve any large withdrawals

老人的钱单独放一个账户，大额支出定一个双人确认的规矩

Scammers targeting seniors for health products, collectibles, or financial schemes all follow the same pattern: they spend months building rapport, then strike all at once. By establishing a rule that any withdrawal above a certain amount must be approved by another person, you effectively delay the spending decision until the initial impulse fades.

Open the low-ROI detour

Move “Keep the elderly person’s money in a separate account and set a rule requiring two people to approve any large withdrawals” to Future Me's calendar

The routine already works until the day the source says it may not.

Today I keep a few minutes, a bit of persistence and avoid interrupting my default routine.

Read the source and trade-off
17-004
Evidence CmoneySource-sensitive

A ready-made phrase for seniors to deflect unwanted offers

给老人备好一句随时能说出口的推辞：「我要回去和家里人商量」

Sales pitches and scams rely on creating immediate pressure, making it hard for people to say no on the spot. By agreeing beforehand on the phrase “I need to go home and discuss this with my family,” the senior has an easy way out whenever needed. This works far better than trying to reason with them later.

Open the low-ROI detour

Move “A ready-made phrase for seniors to deflect unwanted offers” to Future Me's calendar

There is no immediate alarm, so the sensible choice can wait for a less busy week.

Today I keep a few minutes and avoid interrupting my default routine.

Read the source and trade-off
17-005
Evidence AmoneySource-sensitive

Avoid any “investment-based senior care” schemes that require upfront payments: card enrollment, prepaid care fees, buying senior housing units, travel-based care programs, and sales of senior products all fall under the same category of illegal fundraising.

凡是让老人先交钱的「投资养老」都别碰：办卡、买床位、买养老公寓、旅居养老、买老年产品是同一套非法集资

Any senior care program that demands an initial payment while promising financial returns is essentially a scam. These schemes include selling membership cards, collecting prepaid care fees, selling senior housing units, offering travel-based care packages, and promoting various senior products. Under current regulations, recovered funds are extremely rare; victims usually bear the full financial loss. Official reports document cases where fraudsters raised 136,000,000 yuan by marketing “pre-booked senior housing units,” defrauding over 2,100 people. Another case saw fraudsters collect 620,000 yuan through similar tactics, affecting more than 2,100 people. The only effective preventive step is stopping the initial payment.

Open the low-ROI detour

Move “Avoid any “investment-based senior care” schemes that require upfront payments: card enrollment, prepaid care fees, buying senior housing units, travel-based care programs, and sales of senior products all fall under the same category of illegal fundraising.” to Future Me's calendar

Future Me has a clearer calendar, more patience, and apparently the same responsibilities.

Today I keep a few minutes, a bit of persistence and avoid interrupting my default routine.

Read the source and trade-off
17-006
Evidence BmoneySource-sensitive

Apart from the housing reverse mortgage insurance offered by insurers, you should avoid all other “housing-for-pension” schemes — never mortgage your home to buy financial products.

除了保险公司的住房反向抵押养老保险，其他「以房养老」都别碰，绝不抵押房子去买理财

The only legitimate “housing-for-pension” option is the housing reverse mortgage insurance provided by insurers, which is currently still in the pilot phase and used by very few people. Door‑to‑door sales pitches have nothing to do with this official program. Scammers trick seniors into mortgaging their homes so they can use the borrowed money to buy financial products recommended by the fraudsters — essentially a “pay‑old‑debts‑with‑new‑money” Ponzi scheme. Regulators report cases where seniors were unaware their homes had been mortgaged; as a result they ended up losing their property while still owing a loan.

Open the low-ROI detour

Move “Apart from the housing reverse mortgage insurance offered by insurers, you should avoid all other “housing-for-pension” schemes — never mortgage your home to buy financial products.” to Future Me's calendar

If I do not open the notes, no new task has technically appeared.

Today I keep a few minutes, a bit of persistence and avoid interrupting my default routine.

Read the source and trade-off
17-007
Evidence AmoneySource-sensitive

For elderly individuals at home who are bedridden or severely disabled, apply to the local yibao (basic medical insurance) office for long-term care insurance; it is not limited to seniors only.

家里老人长期卧床或重度失能，去参保地医保部门申请长期护理保险；它不是只发给老人

Long-term care insurance helps cover the cost of hiring caregivers. Those who are severely disabled and have remained in that condition for at least six months may apply to their local yibao office. Eligible care expenses do not need to be paid upfront; roughly 70% is reimbursed for employees covered under the worker policy, while about 50% is reimbursed for residents enrolled in the urban/rural resident policy. However, costs such as room charges and meals are not covered. Though often mistaken for a senior-specific program, official documents refer to “insured persons” without any age restriction — even younger individuals with severe disabilities may apply.

Open the low-ROI detour

Move “For elderly individuals at home who are bedridden or severely disabled, apply to the local yibao (basic medical insurance) office for long-term care insurance; it is not limited to seniors only.” to Future Me's calendar

One more exception feels free because the bill arrives outside the current scene.

Today I keep a few minutes and avoid interrupting my default routine.

Read the source and trade-off
17-008
Evidence Blifespan

For families with someone bedridden at home, pressure ulcers are a top concern: use an electric alternating-pressure air mattress, turn the patient regularly, and check bony areas daily

家里有人长期卧床，把压疮当头号敌人：上电动气垫床、定时翻身、每天看一遍骨头突出的地方

Pressure ulcers are far more than just superficial skin injuries. Among older adults undergoing hip-fracture surgery, those already having pressure ulcers at admission face a roughly 20% higher chance of dying within 30 days. Three evidence‑based actions help: using an electric air mattress cuts new ulcer formation by about 60% compared with ordinary hospital mattresses; consistently turning the patient reduces risk by roughly 70% versus standard care; and keeping the person from lying prone for long periods also helps. Check the sacrum, heels, hips, and shoulders each day; if any area shows persistent redness that doesn’t fade when pressed, contact a nurse or doctor right away.

Open the low-ROI detour

Move “For families with someone bedridden at home, pressure ulcers are a top concern: use an electric alternating-pressure air mattress, turn the patient regularly, and check bony areas daily” to Future Me's calendar

I can spend longer deciding whether to start than the small action would take.

Today I keep a little money, a few minutes, a bit of persistence and avoid interrupting my default routine.

Read the source and trade-off
17-009
Evidence BlifespanSource-sensitive

If an older person’s cataracts already affect walking safely, have an eye doctor assess surgery; when both eyes are affected, do not delay the second eye too long

老人的白内障已经影响看路，就去眼科评估做手术；两只眼都有的，第二只别拖太久

In women aged 70 and older, having the first-eye cataract surgery sooner cut falls over the next year by about one-third, and fewer people fractured bones. The number who fell at least once did not drop. For the second eye, surgery did not show a clear difference in falls. After surgery, hip fracture over one year was about 16% lower.

Open the low-ROI detour

Move “If an older person’s cataracts already affect walking safely, have an eye doctor assess surgery; when both eyes are affected, do not delay the second eye too long” to Future Me's calendar

The routine already works until the day the source says it may not.

Today I keep a little money, a few minutes and avoid interrupting my default routine.

Read the source and trade-off
17-010
Evidence BlifespanSource-sensitive

For older adults walking a dog, hold the leash in the palm, keep it short, and train against lunging

家里老人遛狗，把牵绳握在手心、别缠在手上，绳子收短，狗先训练到牵着不往前猛冲

US emergency data show dog-walking falls and leash-related hand injuries among older adults. The source recommends a palm grip, a shorter leash, and training to reduce sudden pulling.

Open the low-ROI detour

Move “For older adults walking a dog, hold the leash in the palm, keep it short, and train against lunging” to Future Me's calendar

There is no immediate alarm, so the sensible choice can wait for a less busy week.

Today I keep a little money, a few minutes, a bit of persistence and avoid interrupting my default routine.

Read the source and trade-off

Source snapshot: a994b6a0c90598b0fe15cb837343f438dbf7b95d. Every original stays available in Chinese alongside the English edition.