LETTERS: Advice to local senior citizens

To the editor:

An open letter to senior citizens living in the South China, Windsor, Weeks Mills and Somerville area.

If you’re thinking of selling your home, moving south to live with a child, be very careful as this is what happened to me.

I got to Florida and my daughter took control of my finances of six figures and opened up a joint bank account in both our names. Paid for a nice sports car, Mercedez Benz, no less, and started shopping for a horse farm for her. As I saw my finances quickly go down, I told her the bank is closed.

This infuriated her when she found out I went to the bank and transfered what was left to Maine. I decided to move back to Maine, and not to worry, the VA has cabins in the woods for homeless veterans.When I got here I was told there was nothing available.

I spent two weeks and $2,000 looking for an apartment while staying at a motel. I ended up in a Catch 22 dilemma. I had too much cash and too low Social Security income. I was told Social Security must be equal to or more than one month rent. So this 91-year-old veteran ended up in a VA sanctioned Bread of Life Ministries homeless shelter for two months while looking for a rent.

Luckily, I was able to find a new studio apartment – don’t ask how. I pray for my brother vets who aren’t as well off as I am and spent many months at Bread of Life hoping to find a home. Most stay there while applying for a low income voucher. I was told if I had a voucher I could have been accepted.

So, senior citizens, before you’re thinking of doing what I did, suggest you fly down and spend a month to see if you get along. As for me, I made the mistake of moving in with my daughter, a 63-plus year-old cat woman who has lived alone for the last 15 years.

Lastly, she put the cats way above me. I had no choice but to leave.

Frank Slason
Augusta

 
 

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1 reply
  1. Holly Slason
    Holly Slason says:

    This was my dad’s letter…advice to seniors. Readers deserve to know the truth;;;please publish this as it is not fair to allow bmy dad to slander me and not let me tell my side:

    I opened my home up to my dad..he sold his place in Maine (his own decision). I did not take his money or open a joint account. He offered to open the joint account and told the BofA banker “we only have eachother…we are all we have”. He offered to purchase the mercedes car for me(a 2009) which I traded my car in to help with the cost. I was NOT taking his money or using him in anyway I was not looking for a horse farm…my dad mentioned that he wanted to live in the country and we drove by a 5 acre place that was for sale…he wanted to see it!

    I was not upset at my dad…in fact he told me he wanted to move back to Maine and I asked him to really consider it first and to give things time. I have a 3/2 home in Dunnellon Fl and I gave him my master bedroom and bath and I did not put any restrictions on him. I paid for all the utilities he only had to pay for his groceries and gas.

    He agreed to stay but after a few weeks decided he was leaving. He told me on a Monday morning (while I am getting ready for work) that he is driving back to Maine on Friday, He failed to tell me that a neighbor (that lives down the street named Gary) would be accompanying him on the trip. (which my dad had to pay him for and ended up costing over $1000 between eating out, hotel and paying him $250 to ride with him as well as paying for Garys fight back to Fl). Here I am worried that my dad is on the road alone. Friday morning when my dad left (at 8am) I hugged him good bye and told him “this is your decision, you don’t have to go” but he told me he was leaving. I asked him how far he was driving and he said “to Jacksonville” which I thought was odd as that is not far away. All this time my dad knew that I did NOT know Gary was going to be with him. This was hurtful I though for my dad to hide this fact.

    As far as my cats…they eat and sleep and did not bother my dad in anyway. In fact he would talk them and petted them and seemed to enjoy their company.

    I tried calling my dad only for him to hang up on me and then he wrote me and asked to only contact him by mail. So let me advise those children that have aging parents and they want to move in…have a long conversation first. My dad had a choice but his choice was to leave without providing any closure for me (as to why).

    It is not right to let my dad write lies and lead people to believe his story…please publish this so that (maybe my dad) will be able to know how I feel…since he will not even speak to me.
    Sincerely,
    Holly Slason

    Reply

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