My mother-in-law's care costs about $11,000 a month. At 66 and 72, we can't retire because we need to help her out.
A 66-year-old financial advisor shares her struggle of balancing her own retirement planning with the high costs of caring for her 99-year-old mother-in-law. The story highlights the financial and emotional strain placed on the 'sandwich generation' as they manage long-term care expenses.
Why it matters
It illustrates the growing crisis of long-term care affordability and the impact of aging populations on the financial stability of families.
Kim Berling has been caring for her mother-in-law (center) for nearly a decade. Kim Berling Kim Berling, 66, cares for her 99-year-old mother-in-law in Dallas while living in Albuquerque. Long-term care costs have forced Kim and her husband to cover the deficits monthly. Kim balances work and caregiving duties, traveling to Texas to oversee her mother-in-law's care. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kim Berling, 66, who lives in Albuquerque. Berling and her husband, 72, are caring for his 99-year-old mom , and both work to support her. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. I have five adult children. I do financial advising and insurance sales. I've lived in New Mexico my whole life. My husband runs his own company as a technician for ATMs, going out to install or repair them. My father died in 2018 from prostate cancer .
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