The American Care Landscape: Challenges and Solutions for the 21st Century

Abstract

When my father passed away, I moved in with my mother. A few years later, she was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer’s. It was my turn to provide care for her. Between appointments, finding day care, and adjusting to the diagnoses, it was hard not to feel overwhelmed. So I took vacation hours and asked my boss if I could reduce my hours to 30. Of course, fewer hours meant less pay. Finding quality care was very important. We found an excellent program, but it cost $70 per day. With my reduced hours at work, this was a strain—but we had to keep her safe and well cared for. I put off paying down my student debt or saving any money. Less than a year later, I was laid off. Since then, I could only take part-time jobs since she needs around-the-clock care. In 2011, I found a 30 hour job. I was so excited! Less than a year later, my mom had a bad fall. I took off a week from work but quickly realized that recovery was going to take longer than my vacation leave. We were lucky that my mom had some savings so that we could hire a caregiver to help during this time of crisis. We were also lucky that we were able to find the help we needed. But this shouldn’t be based on luck—all of us should have the peace of mind that when needed, we can hire some help.