When AARP held its annual conference in 2009, more than 25,000 seniors attended, many of whom are over 50 themselves and caring for an elderly parent.
AgingCare.com caught up with a few caregivers at the event, and asked them to share their caregiving experiences, as well as their thoughts on the AARP conference.
Brenda Sheldon
Caring for 72-year-old mother
La Mesa, California
When Brenda's father died suddenly of a heart attack three years ago, her mother was left to deal with the couple's finances, a task she had never done in her entire life. "Dad took care of everything that had to do with money. Mom didn't know what accounts they had…she'd never even balanced their checkbook. After dad died, I was really worried about my mom's finances."
When Brenda stepped in to help with her mom's finances, she quickly realized that the situation was worse than she thought. Her father had done practically nothing to prepare for their old age. "I am worried that my mother is going to run out of money. She has a mortgage, car payment and other bills, and she is not in the best health. I'm wondering if she ends up in a nursing home, who is going to pay for it?"
Brenda attended the AARP conference looking for answers. "I need to help my mother as much as I can. There's no one else to do it. And this experience also opened my eyes to the fact that I need to do much more in planning my own financial future. I'm here to help my mom with her finances and also plan my own future."
Next page: Another caregiver story.