Most of us don’t want to accept the fact that nursing homes could be in our futures; after all, some of those facilities have dicey reputations and come at exorbitant costs. That’s why, when we recently read a viral Facebook post that provided a seriously smart alternative, we just had to share it with you.

It was penned by a Texan by the name of Terry Robison, and in it, he gives us a breakdown of average nursing home costs–and why it would actually be much cheaper to spend your rent money at the iconic budget hotel chain, Holiday Inn.

Here’s an excerpt from Robison’s brilliant argument for seniors trading in their nursing homes for Holiday Inns:

No nursing home for us. We’ll be checking into a Holiday Inn! With the average cost for a nursing home care costing $188.00 per day, there is a better way when we get old and too feeble. I’ve already checked on reservations at the Holiday Inn. For a combined long term stay discount and senior discount, it’s $59.23 per night. Breakfast is included, and some have happy hours in the afternoon. That leaves $128.77 a day for lunch and dinner in any restaurant we want, or room service, laundry, gratuities and special TV movies. Plus, they provide a spa, swimming pool, a workout room, a lounge and washer-dryer, etc. Most have free toothpaste and razors, and all have free shampoo and soap. $5-worth of tips a day and you’ll have the entire staff scrambling to help you.

Definitely doesn’t sound like a bad deal to us! Later on in the post, Robison goes on to point out all of the many amenities that trusted hotels, like Holiday Inns, offer, including free handyman work, security, room service, and even welfare checks. All very important details that any good nursing home provides…but at a fraction of the price!

And you’re not stuck in one place forever — you can move from Inn to Inn, or even from city to city. Want to see Hawaii ? They have Holiday Inn there too. TV broken? Light bulbs need changing? Need a mattress replaced? No problem.. They fix everything, and apologize for the inconvenience. The Inn has a night security person and daily room service. The maid checks to see if you are ok. If not, they’ll call an ambulance . . . Or the undertaker.

Ok, clearly, that final adage is meant to be a tongue-in-cheek one, but in it, Robison is certainly speaking the truth; hotels are responsible for their guests’ safety and comfort, and most often, they provide these services with a smile. We definitely think he’s onto something. Maybe, we, too, will live out our golden years in a Holiday Inn!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this viral post. Do you agree with Robison’s theory that Holiday Inns are better for the elderly than nursing homes? Do you know someone who has chosen to do something similar? Where do you plan to live when you get older?