ThirdAge Conversation: Beth McLeod

ThirdAge: Where can people find out about these services?

The best source is going to be the local area agency on aging, also known as senior information and referral or the local department or agency on aging, and they're in every county in the nation as mandated. You can find out where yours is through calling the National Elder Care Locator at 1-800-677-1116.

ThirdAge: What role do you see the government taking in this area, if any, and what would be most helpful?

This is a very heavily debated area and there are no easy answers, because families are not all the same.

The government has been very involved through the Older Americans Act, in providing states and every county with aging network services, and I think this is well deserved kind of funding and I would like to see it continue.

What caregiving families most seem to need are respite options -- that is, breaks for caregivers -- affordable, accessible and reliable ones. They need a lot more help with reimbursements for home health care, for custodial care -- that is the number one issue. If you are very wealthy, it is not an issue. If you are very poor, you get Medicaid. If you're in the middle, which most of us are, you either have to spend down to poverty level to get Medicaid, or you spend your retirement money, and your whole future, and your grandchildren's future to try to take care of aging parents.

Before my parents both had to go into a nursing home, we were spending $16,000 a month on home care. We went through about $200,000 in two years and the whole family was bankrupt. This is middle class, long-term care, so this is an issue that must be addressed.