The cost of long-term care keeps going up, and it's a growing problem for Americans of all ages

A caregiver visits Lana Mountford's place a few hours a week. Chona Kasinger for BI Some days, Tamara Johnson wonders how her life changed so rapidly. Johnson, 58, made six figures in an executive leadership position, and when her mother was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and dementia in 2017, she moved from New Orleans to Virginia, where she continued to work while caring for her mother . Three years after her mom's death in 2020, Johnson's husband suffered a series of catastrophic medical events. To care for him full-time, she took a temporary leave and then quit her job this year. She relied on income from her job's deferred resignation program and her savings to pay for his long-term care. Johnson estimates her family spent over $700,000 in total between her mom's and husband's care.