My grandparents wanted to age at home. Eventually, their care cost $4,000 a week.
My grandparents stayed home into their 90s. It took six adult children, extensive unpaid care, and $300,000 in savings to make it possible.
Bob and Ruth McMillan, a middle-class couple, had celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary in September 2025. They wished to age in their home until the end of their lives. Six of their children shared the responsibility of caring for them, spending approximately 30 hours weekly. Despite family support, their care eventually cost $4,000 per week.
Living at home until their deaths in 2024 and 2025, they had no desire to leave their shared house. To make this possible, my mom and her siblings worked tirelessly, managing caregiving, financial and legal paperwork, medications, and even providing companionship. Their savings covered about 18 months of the $4,000 weekly care cost.
Their dedication and sacrifices allowed them to fulfill their parents' wishes, but it also highlighted the increasing scarcity of resources that can make aging at home possible.
Written by urgent.news from Business Insider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
