The need for long-term care could come unexpectedly, with an accident, or become evident months or years before it’s needed, as with Alzheimer’s disease. But statistics show most other Americans have done little to no planning for their future. As we began looking at long-term care in the United States, the PBS NewsHour wanted to paint a portrait of what it can look like for many families, who struggle to provide that care at home, often with little or no help. Tucson, Arizona resident Rebecca Wyant allowed our team into her life, to see how she struggles to run her small business, while also being the full-time caregiver for her mother Mary, a former artist suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. We look at the history of government assistance in this area, and what is happening in they Wyants’ community since some agencies created to help the elderly and caregivers have suffered budget cuts. We also examined recent trends in long term care – the number of Americans that will likely need it, and how they have, or in a majority of cases, haven’t prepared for it.
