NPR Family Matters, a National Public Radio series on aging and families in America, looks at the generational challenges, joys and financial sacrifices of maiking sure our parents and grandparents receive care. NPR Family Matters reviews the different realities of three generations of American families in an eight part series filled with patience, affection, resignation and obligation.
NPR Family Matters profiled three families over the eight week series, which started mid-April and aired each Tuesday on Morning Edition. The struggles and pitfalls of caring for aging relatives notes that the do-it-yourself approach is common –and costly, according to NPR Family Matters.
Millions Provide Care
“Nearly 10 million people over the age of 50 are caring for their aging parents, according to a study conducted by the MetLife Mature Market Institute, in conjunction with the National Alliance for Caregiving and the New York Medical College. The number of caregivers has more than tripled over the past 15 years,” according to the show.
Today, about six million U.S. residents are over 85. About 20% live in multi-generational households. The three families followed in NPR Family Matters all became multigenerational without planning when their elderly relatives could not maintain their independence and moved in with their adult children.
The eight shows cover topics like the true cost of providing in-home care, whether long term care insurance is helpful, preparing for aging parents, coping with multi-generational expectations, and the money problems created by giving up employment to provide care. NPR Family Matters has written articles on the site, but can also be heard as a recorded boradcast.