When my mother died suddenly in 1998, I was faced with the responsibility of caring for my 82-year-old father who had had a series of strokes, which left him with difficulty swallowing and talking, physically very weak, and mentally impaired. I had denied the seriousness of his condition for more than a year and had not thought at all about the possibility of my mother being the first to die. She was, until the time of her death, his primary caregiver. The difficulties I encountered in finding and funding adequate care for my father were not out of the ordinary. As an article in the Los Angeles Times, Sunday April 2, 2000 revealed, "coping with an older parent can alter the financial and emotional health of the entire family. "

A Times poll found that 81% of respondents not currently providing care had made no plans for dealing with their parents' potential infirmity. 3 out of 5 respondents had never discussed the possibility of infirmity with their parents. The newspaper polled 1,589 adults, including 807 respondents 60 years of age or older, by random digit dialing of phone numbers.

Here are some interesting and important statistics taken from the article:

1. 25% of Americans 65 and over are disabled or in need of long-term care.
2. If you reach age 65, there is a 40% to 50% chance that you will need long-term care.
3. Women are more likely to look after aging parents, making up 72.5% of all caregivers.
4. The Times poll revealed that 51% of those under the age of 60 said they would not put their parents in a nursing home if the parent did not want to go.
5. But 57% of the respondents over 60 said they could put their parents in a nursing home if it were the only option.
6. Only 25% of retirees are planning to purchase long-term care insurance to pay for future care in their home or in a nursing home.