Turning Gray, In More Ways Than One

    Many of my clients are elder law attorneys, and over the past year I have had occasion to learn and value what they do first-hand.   Thanks to the services of elder law attorney Valerie Peterson, my mom is now comfortably (and affordably) installed in an assisted living facility in Sarasota, Florida.
    My mother's health and mental capacity began slipping about a year ago and mine is a tale very typical of those in the so-called "sandwich generation" who must take care of their own children, and aging parents as well. First my mother started calling me at least once a day to tell me that she had gone out to walk her dog and had forgotten her key and would I please drop everything and come over with my spare key? Things went downhill from there. She forgot to take her (very important) medications. She left food on the stove and caused a small fire. She became incontinent and forgot to put on her special undergarments.
    In the short-term, I was forced to hire in-home care (the real subject of this post). It was good, but expensive. Very expensive, over $25,000 in a few short months. I could not afford $100,000 a year for this kind of care, as I'm sure most people can't. However, a new supply has arisen to meet what is sure, as the baby boom generation's parents age, to be huge demand for in-home care. The New York Times reports on a new "gray market" of caregivers who are short on medical qualifications but much more affordable than the typical agency. Read about it here. (Registration may be required.) Thanks to Diedre Wachbrit for drawing my attention to this article.