Serious for a bit...

This subject has been on my mind for a while:

This entire week, World News has been doing stories on the challenges baby boomers face caring for their elderly parents. Whether it's healthcare, hospice, or assisted living facilities - the costs are much more the concern than the actual care for many Americans. Every year, about 10 million people need long-term care - and most of those people live in their own homes. 10 million. Let that number sink in for a bit. And now to the next fact: Most of those people that need long-term care are living in their own homes. My father - who specializes in estate planning law - has confirmed to me the strong desire of some of his clients - wanting to cling to their homes - seeing assisted care and nursing home facilities as "a place to die." He informs me that many of the same clients take out 2nd mortgages on their homes - just to stay in them and get at-home hospice care. They eventually leave life with nothing - sucked dry of the money it takes to care for them - and the upfront regret that they cannot leave more of their lives and estate to their families.

I have seen my own family struggle with the decision-making process of my grandmother. A woman who desperately wanted to stay in her home of 50+ years after my grandfather died. But she was forgetting things - like if she ate lunch that day - or if she took her medication. But my grandmother - a Swedish immigrant and child of The Great Depression - had saved money throughout her life. The decision to put her in an assisted living facility was something she did not want - yet, it was something her dementia needed - and something she could afford.

Let me break down the numbers. A good assisted living facility - a good one, where they have activities and planned meals and regular health check-ups is about $5000/month. But there is a waiting list for many of these good places, as the demand is quite larger than the supply. Of course, if she actually knew how much she was paying - she would tell us all we had "rocks for brains." Fortunately for her - we didn't tell her how much it cost. In that respect, maybe we really do have "rocks for brains."

The math really rings raw when you read ABC News' article on the subject. Hit the title of this post for a debrief.

Why do I bring all of this up? Why is it now a cause in which I want to become more involved? Well - first up, it's personal. This is me and my grandma:


The love I feel for her is unwavering. At the same time, it's upsetting. It's a testament to the beauty of remarkable people who have truly touched us all.

The other reason why I bring it up is because I'm thinking of how this major healthcare/living care issue can be forwarded in size and scope.

Many of the people who read this are like me - children of the Baby Boom generation. Ever wonder whether they'll be able to get the adequate care they deserve at the end of life? I think about this a great deal - and wonder where our country's headed in that regard.

This is the future fact: Baby Boomers - with more time on their side because of medical advancement than ever before - will live longer than previous generations. They will live longer - yet their medical care will increase exponentially. We need to prepare for this truth. We need our parents to prepare for this truth; for it will be our responsibility in the end.

I was enlightened, and a bit stunned, at the information of a recent seminar touching on these very issues. The big umbrella breakdown is this expectant: The wealthy will have adequate care towards the end of their life. The poor will rely on government safety nets. Where does that leave aging middle-class America - the largest group? Well, if they haven't planned for it - nowhere.

It is up to us - right now - to create, foster, and implement real change in the long-term care we provide our citizens. It is an issue I believe is so greatly ignored - yet so vitally important. It is the issue of our time.