My grandparents wanted to age at home. Eventually, their care cost $4,000 a week.
The author reflects on the logistical and financial challenges of caring for aging parents at home. Despite having a large support network of six children, the family still faced significant costs and complex caregiving responsibilities.
Why it matters
It highlights the growing crisis of elder care in the U.S. and the immense burden placed on families who wish to avoid institutionalized care.
The author's grandparents, Bob and Ruth McMillan, celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary in September 2025. Courtesy of the author My grandparents wanted to remain in their home until the end of their lives. Their six children each spent about 30 hours a week helping care for them at one point. Even with family help, 24/7 paid care eventually cost $4,000 a week. My grandparents lived at home until dying in their 90s in 2024 and 2025. Like many people, they had no desire to leave their shared home at the end of their lives. They wanted to stay in a comfortable place together. Through great sacrifice, my mom and her siblings worked to make that happen for them. My grandparents, a rural, middle-class couple, benefited from an increasingly unique set of circumstances: Their end-of-life illnesses were relatively short. My grandfather's pension provided financial security.
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