As Seniors Choose Aging at Home, Caregivers Face Growing Strain

The Emotional and Financial Toll of Caring for Aging Parents

As more Americans express a desire to age at home, their adult children are increasingly struggling to make that wish possible. A growing body of research highlights a widening gap between seniors’ hopes and the ability of younger generations to shoulder the caregiving burden alone.

Aging at Home vs. Reality

Most older adults prefer to spend their later years surrounded by family rather than in an assisted-living setting. But while 74% of adults say they’d want to be cared for at home, a recent survey found that 70% of caregivers do not want their aging parents to live with them. The strain is emotional, financial, and logistical — yet conversations about realistic care plans often happen too late.

Families frequently find themselves in crisis before a plan is made. One Minnesota family learned this firsthand when a mother with dementia required full-time care at home while waiting months for placement in a memory-care facility. She passed away before a room ever opened.

The Sandwich Generation’s Strain

Nearly half of Americans already support an aging parent financially or expect to do so. Many take on debt to provide care, step away from careers, and juggle demands from multiple generations. That reality has fueled stress — and even resentment — as adult children weigh caring for parents against providing for their own children and retirement.

Experts say early conversations — and realistic financial and care planning — are essential. While love drives the desire to support aging parents, many caregivers learn that boundaries and proactive decisions are necessary to protect their families’ long-term well-being.