Help Gene "Genie Weenie" Starcher get care!

Hello! Molly Starcher here. I am raising money for my dad, Gene Starcher, a lively and delightful 83-year-old with dementia. If you know him as "Genie Weenie" from Goldsmith Lucerne in Chelan, from the old days in Stehekin, or from joining him on walks the past few months when he stays with Chase and me in the Methow, you know he is a special guy.

For the last couple of years, his ability to function independently has significantly declined. Our family has been doing our best to provide a healthy home for him, resulting in Gene bouncing back and forth between living with my siblings and me for the past several months. This has been good, complex, and beautiful, but ultimately an imperfect and short-term solution for my dad. We have been considering several options for long-term care that would be best suited for his condition and lifestyle. The community at Jamie's Place (the best old folks home you could imagine), which is right in Winthrop, where I live, would provide the consistency and stimulation that will improve his quality of life immensely. We have been on the waitlist for over a year for a room at Jamie's Place and just received notice that there is an opening for my dad.

If you know Jamie's Place, you know it's the dream when it comes to growing old away from home. They offer as much independence as possible, a cozy family-style home, and home-cooked meals, and it's about a frisbee throw away from the library and walking trails (two of my dad's favorite things).

While Jamie's Place is amazingly on the less expensive end of adult care homes, we still need help bridging the gap between my dad's Social Security income and what our family can contribute. We have talked with DHSH, Aging and Adult Care, Room One, searched for grants and ANYTHING that could help, and have come up with nothing.

So here I am, asking all you lovely people who love me, love my dad, or know the pain of not being able to give your loved one the care they deserve, to pitch in for this incredible father and friend so that he can have the best end of life possible.

The facts are this:

Jamie's Place will cost $68k-$86k per year, depending on his needs assessment (getting his assessment 11/29), and we expect to be on the lower end of that scale. This would be the cost for the first two years, at which point we can apply for a Medicaid bed, which would significantly lower the financial burden.

Dad's Social Security will pay for $19,200 of this.

Our family can contribute $24k/year.

This leaves a $24,800/year gap if he ends up being on the low end of their payment scale.

As my business grows and all of my siblings get more established, it's hopeful that we will be able to contribute more, so I am starting our goal at $24,800, which would be the approximate financial gap for the first year.

Thank you so much for reading. We appreciate your moral and financial support and for spreading the word!

With love,

Molly Starcher & Family