I read an eye opening article today on the CBS website: "Many boomers not prepared for elder care"
A quote from the article:
On "The Early Show," Ken Budd, executive editor of AARP magazine, said baby boomers are getting hit on a lot of fronts, from care-giving, to financially supporting their kids, to the tough job market.
He said, "Care-giving tends to be a gradual process, taking your father to the doctor or taking your mother to the store, so learning some of this stuff can take a little time."
Budd said taking care of parents seems to be becoming the norm for boomers. He said, "There's already 65 million Americans who provide unpaid care. The value of that care is about $350 billion, a huge number, and is only going to get higher as the population ages."
With the recent passing of my husband's grandfather this year, my mother undergoing radiation for breast cancer, and my husband's and my parents reaching the age where they're thinking about medicare supplement plans and even funeral insurance, I've been thinking more and more about the coming role my husband and I may soon be playing in the care of our parents.
It can be hard to bring up and discuss these topics with the people who have been your caregivers, but I'm making a commitment to talk with my husband's and my parents, and to keep those discussions going to try to avoid problems later.
Do you discuss health and finances with your family?
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