$8,728 a year. No vacations. No retirement savings. 23 hours a week and up. This is the not-so-secret code of the long-distance caregiver: $8,728 is the average annual out-of-pocket cost; 47% stopped taking vacations to make up for caregiving costs and a lack of extra time; 35% stopped saving for retirement; and 23 hours up […]
BY CAROL BRADLEY BURSACK Unfair as it may seem, even in families of many adult children, one sibling generally becomes the primary caregiver for the aging parents. In many families, such as mine, this person lives the closest to the parents and/or is most suited to the task of caregiver. In my case, it was both. […]
If you are providing care for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s, it might seem that the word “no” has become a natural response to any question. “Ready for your shower?” “No.” “Are you hungry?” “No.” “Would you like to play a game?” “No.” If you feel like you are living the “no”, here are […]
I am one among millions of statistically likely only-child caregivers working on my own to provide care within the caregiving community. While not every child, even one with siblings, can or will opt to take on caregiving responsibilities, an only child is clearly center stage and will be the one performing a solo act of […]
I saw it as she sat at my dining room table. Portable file emptied of medical bills and prescription drug plan information, spread out over the table top and on chair seats. I was working in my home office while she was staying with me for a few weeks recovering from a minor surgery. Several […]
