Parents feel emotionally and financially stressed by caring for young children and older relatives at the same time.
Written By: By Jessica Grose
This piece is part of “The Price of Modern Parenting.” Read more about the sandwich generation, the cost of adoption and out-of-pocket expenses for preterm births.
When Tanya Brice’s mother moved into her apartment in Owings Mills, Md., five years ago, she was already caring for twin toddlers, one of whom has autism and an intellectual disability, and a teenage son. Brice, 43, is a single mom, and was supporting the household on a social worker’s salary. Her budget and schedule were stressed to the breaking point.
Her mother, Janice, was medically fragile — she had hepatitis C and diabetes — and Medicaid wouldn’t pay for a home health aid, so that came out of Brice’s pocket, along with the money for higher electricity bills from her mother’s ventilator, and the extra food and necessities her mother needed.
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