Supporting aging, often ill parents, is not just a challenge for immigrants or families of color. Extended and costly illness decimated my parents savings long ago. Friends and family helped them through particularly rough periods. After my dad died, my mother was able to support herself on social security and savings until she couldn’t. Luckily, my husband and I could.Her dementia got to a point where it wasn’t safe for her to live on her own or with us we found a memory care facility that was less astronomically expensive than others. When I was signing the paperwork I asked how people afford this, they told me usually by selling a house. My parents sold long ago their home long ago, the funds wiped out by illness related costs. What about people who don’t have a house to sell or family to help? What a desperate situation. The cost of my mom’s facility was raised annually. Notification of the latest increase cited the “large” Social Security bump and high cost to pay employees - who do very difficult work for “as much as $17 an hour.” I wrote the director pointing out that we already paid more than my mom’s SS and my salary combined. They adjusted the price but the cost still remained beyond her SS and my income. This robs my own family of savings that could help support us as we age. And I have MS and Sjögrens so there will likely be caregiver costs not to mention criminally high prescription drug costs. The cost of caring for the elderly in America is a national crisis.

Supporting aging, often ill parents, is not just a challenge for immigrants or families of color. Extended and costly illness decimated my parents savings long ago. Friends and family helped them through particularly rough periods. After my dad died, my mother was able to support herself on social security and savings until she couldn’t. Luckily, my husband and I could.Her dementia got to a point where it wasn’t safe for her to live on her own or with us we found a memory care facility that was less astronomically expensive than others. When I was signing the paperwork I asked how people afford this, they told me usually by selling a house. My parents sold long ago their home long ago, the funds wiped out by illness related costs. What about people who don’t have a house to sell or family to help? What a desperate situation. The cost of my mom’s facility was raised annually. Notification of the latest increase cited the “large” Social Security bump and high cost to pay employees - who do very difficult work for “as much as $17 an hour.” I wrote the director pointing out that we already paid more than my mom’s SS and my salary combined. They adjusted the price but the cost still remained beyond her SS and my income. This robs my own family of savings that could help support us as we age. And I have MS and Sjögrens so there will likely be caregiver costs not to mention criminally high prescription drug costs. The cost of caring for the elderly in America is a national crisis.

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