https://ask.metafilter.com/ The past 24 hours of questions at Ask MetaFilter Mon, 02 Nov 2026 07:09:34 GMT Mon, 02 Nov 2026 07:09:34 GMT en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60
Unfortunately, I feel like I should preface this question with an acknowledgement that we're incredibly privileged to be able to afford care options that are unattainable to most people in the US. But our budget is not unlimited and we're unfamiliar with the nuances of the care system.

Mom has lung cancer and was going through immunotherapy. Despite progress on the cancer, her overall condition spiraled in August and she's now in the hospital for the third time since then. She was previously discharged to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) while we looked into assisted living or memory care options. Her autoimmune encephalitis diagnosis qualified her for the memory care route, which was our plan until the SNF sent her back to the hospital due to elevated liver enzyme lab results.

Her short stay at the SNF was full of problems: lack of fall prevention, poor administration of medication, poor communications between family and staff, etc. And it was supposed to be one of the best SNFs in town. This time, I think we should try to skip the SNF and find a better care setting.

Memory care seems like the most comprehensive and active care environment. However, their focus is, understandably, on Alzheimer's and dementia patients who are not likely going to recover. My mom's condition might be reversible, to an unknown extent, so I'm worried about putting her in a setting where the approach to care is mostly palliative rather than curative. However, we do quite like the focus on socializing and engagement.

Assisted living facilities, even at the highest level of directed care, seem to fall short of my mom's basic needs at the moment. Our hope is that her condition improves enough over the next couple months that assisted living can be the next step. But at the moment, I worry she'll overwhelm staff the way she overwhelmed the SNF's staff.

So my question is...do we just pick the memory care facility we like and go with that? Or is there another type of care environment I'm not familiar with?]]> https://ask.metafilter.com/391093/Navigating-care-options-for-cognitively-impaired-loved-one tag:ask.metafilter.com,2026:site.391093 Mon, 02 Nov 2026 07:09:34 GMT mullacc cancer memorycare seniorcare https://ask.metafilter.com/391093/Navigating-care-options-for-cognitively-impaired-loved-one/rss
We currently have a cheap plastic can which works fine but doesn't really keep smells in well. Would a metal one work better in that regard? I've read the Wirecutter article on the topic; their top pick is a SimpleHuman can for $130. It looks well-reviewed but spending that much on a trash can gives me pause. Thanks all!]]> https://ask.metafilter.com/391092/Talk-to-me-about-trash-cans tag:ask.metafilter.com,2026:site.391092 Mon, 02 Nov 2026 01:07:57 GMT cozenedindigo cans trash https://ask.metafilter.com/391092/Talk-to-me-about-trash-cans/rss
I'm not thinking about objects but about services. So, should I pay more for faster internet? For more leg room on an airplane? For insurance on my flight? (I'm pretty sure that last one is no.) Which of these upsells are worth it?

I suspect that this question has been asked before, though I wasn't able to find it. There are similar questions (like this one) about material goods, but I'm focusing more on intangibles.]]> https://ask.metafilter.com/391091/When-should-I-say-yes-to-an-upsell tag:ask.metafilter.com,2026:site.391091 Sun, 01 Nov 2026 20:41:43 GMT cider experience service upgrade upsell https://ask.metafilter.com/391091/When-should-I-say-yes-to-an-upsell/rss cat's paw which can mean: 1. a ripple on the surface of water (as if a cat was pawing the water) 2. someone who gets used by another person (derived from a table) 3. a type of knot (presumably based on what the knot looks like)

These three meanings are all evocative, but all completely unrelated as far as I can tell. Are there other examples like this in English or other languages?]]> https://ask.metafilter.com/391090/The-unrelated-richness-of-language tag:ask.metafilter.com,2026:site.391090 Sun, 01 Nov 2026 18:13:22 GMT Winnie the Proust catspaw https://ask.metafilter.com/391090/The-unrelated-richness-of-language/rss https://ask.metafilter.com/391089/WordplayFilter-Minute-Mysteries tag:ask.metafilter.com,2026:site.391089 Sun, 01 Nov 2026 16:34:36 GMT LSK wordplay https://ask.metafilter.com/391089/WordplayFilter-Minute-Mysteries/rss