I knew caring for my 88-year-old mom would be hard. I didn't expect to spend so much time on tech support.

The author said handling passwords and other tech support for her aging mother has become a time-consuming responsibility. Courtesy of Carissa Tozzi. My mom was fiercely independent into her 80s, but recently moved into an assisted living facility. I didn't anticipate how helping her manage her digital life would be such a big part of her care. Two-factor authentication has left my mom unable to manage her accounts on her own. I really didn't know what caring for an aging parent would be like. After my father died, my mother continued living alone in New York City. She was in her mid-80s and fiercely independent. She managed all her finances, doctor appointments, and dinner dates with her new boyfriend. She loved her apartment, her lifestyle , her friends, and her iPhone 16, and had no interest in ever leaving. Then her health declined dramatically.