The Soaring Costs of Elder Care: A National Crisis
By [Invented Reporter] | %%dateline_location%% – 2025/06/21 12:57:30
The financial strain of caring for aging loved ones is becoming an increasingly pressing concern for families across the nation. As the population ages, more individuals require assistance with daily living, leading to significant expenses that can quickly deplete savings.
Marian Sunabe, a retired school psychologist, makes regular trips from her home in South Pasadena to Gardena to visit her 100-year-old mother. On one of thes visits, she discussed the heavy financial burden of elder care.
Sunabe explained that her mother, Reiko Kobata, values her independence and prefers to remain in her own home. for the past four years, Reiko Kobata has had a daytime caregiver. However, after a recent fall and a bout with pneumonia, a nighttime caregiver has also become necessary.
The cost for a 13-hour daytime shift is $320, while the 11-hour nighttime shift is just under $300, bringing the total daily expense to $620.
Reiko Kobata, 100, enjoys a visit from her daughter, Marian Sunabe.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
This amounts to a staggering $18,600 each month. When a nighttime caregiver isn’t needed,the cost is roughly half that amount.
“Most folks would not be able to afford this. But there aren’t many options other than admitting them to a board and care facility,” Sunabe stated, noting that even those facilities can cost several thousand dollars per month. “I’ve known people who have had to quit their job … to care for their aging parent. It can easily drain all of your savings and assets – not a good system.”
The Elder Care Crisis in America
“Americans are not prepared for the challenges of caregiving.”
Indeed, the situation represents a national crisis, with the United States lagging behind many developed nations in addressing the needs of its aging population.
Paul Irving, a senior advisor at the Milken Institute, points out in “Caregiving,” a new PBS documentary, that families frequently enough discover that essential care is not covered by health insurance. He notes that “so incredibly, more and more middle-class Americans are forced to pay down to poverty so that they can qualify for Medicaid. That’s a crazy system for them and for our federal government.”
The future of Medicaid, a crucial resource for many, remains uncertain given potential cuts.
During a drive,Sunabe shared details about her mother’s financial situation. Reiko Kobata relies on a combination of Social Security, income from a rental property, pensions, long-term care insurance, and retirement savings to cover the substantial monthly expenses.
