EVER BEEN EMBARASSED BECAUSE YOU ARE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE?
EMBARASSED????
One of the challenges of being stuck in the middle is when you have to buy personal and hygiene items for your parents.>

Every few weeks I had to buy my mom her lipstick ) blaze apricot revlon- depends- suppositories -ensure-
A few times a year I would need to buy her panties and bras

I always got peculair looks from the cashiers at checkout and sometimes funny stares

What embarassing situations have you had being stuck in the middle - please leave them in our Facebook group? Winner gets a 25.00 Starbucks Gift Card
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HEALTH
11 Hard Truths About Caring for Both Elderly Parents and Adult Children

In recent years, a growing number of individuals have found themselves in a unique and often challenging position: simultaneously caring for their elderly parents and supporting their adult children. This phenomenon, known as the “sandwich generation,” can be emotionally, physically, and financially taxing. In this article, we’ll explore the struggles faced by those caught in the middle and offer insights on how to navigate this complex family dynamic.
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YOUR MARRIAGE

Mom reaches standstill with ex-husband; 'I'm not co-parenting like this in front of YOUR wife.' AITA?

When this woman is confused about coparenting with her ex-husband, she asks the internet:

"AITA for refusing to work with my ex on disciplining our kids in front of his and his wife's families?"

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FINANCE INVESTING TIPS FOR THE SANDWICH GENERATION

Scarecrow laws threaten to make middle-aged Americans financially responsible for their parents’ medical bills

Lou Carlozo Tue, May 7, 2024 at 6:02 AM EDT
Two facts of life have become impossible to ignore: The U.S. population is aging and the cost to take care of our seniors is surging.

By 2030, all 73 million baby boomers will be 65 and older. The number of Americans ages 65 and older is projected to increase from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050, according to the Population Reference Bureau..
A ‘sleeper law’ awakens

According to Forbes reporting, over half the states currently have laws holding adult children financially responsible for the care of their senior parents. This may include nursing home, medical and other bills. These are old laws that are rarely enforced but are retained as a warning to ensure good behavior.

However, a 2012 and 2019 case in Pennsylvania showed that these “scarecrow” laws could threaten the financial futures of middle-aged children. According to ABC News, in 2012, John Pittas was forced to pay for his mother's nearly $93,000 nursing home stay after her Medicaid application was not approved in time.

This has led Democrat state Rep. Kristine Howard to sponsor a bill called Stop Bankrupting Pennsylvanians Over Family Medical Bills Act.

“Pennsylvania’s outlier status in this regard is shameful,” Howard wrote in the bill memorandum in March. "Filial responsibility laws first emerged in the 17th century and became common in the colonies. While they have generally fallen out of favor elsewhere, Pennsylvania stands as the only state to have enforced its filial responsibility law in the past 25 years ... Given that Pennsylvania nursing homes average a cost of nearly $400 per day, this can quickly lead to bankruptcies.”

“It can be a rude awakening for many people,” Howard told Forbes.

Long-term care costs

“Most adult children do undertake responsibilities for their parents as they age and especially if their parents’ abilities wane,’’ said Katherine C. Pearson, an elder law expert, to Forbes. “They do this because it is the right thing to do. They do this without laws obligating them to do so, thank goodness.”

But the costs to pay someone to take care of elderly parents can be exorbitant.

Statistics compiled by the National Council on Aging show a wide variance of median monthly nursing home costs — from a low of $5,125 in Texas to an astounding $31,512 in Alaska. Consider that latter figure for a moment: It equals $378,144 annually, just pennies shy of the median home sales price in Anchorage ($378,500).

According to Genworth, the monthly median cost in the U.S. for adult day health care and assisted living facility is $2,058 and $5,350, respectively. In-home care services are more expensive with the monthly median cost for a home health aide at $6,292.

In March 2024, the price of care of invalids and elderly at home was up a whopping 14.2% year over year, compared to an overall inflation rate of 3.5%.

Adult children of boomers face tough questions and tougher choices. Among the most gripping: How can they afford nursing home bills? And what happens if the money runs out — not just to their elderly parents but also to the family finances?

A patchwork of solutions

Relocating might be an option, especially if the overall cost of living in a given state is also cheaper.

Another defense against runaway costs comes via private long-term care insurance. However, Forbes notes that “a raft of carriers have stopped selling the policies because the risk is so high and healthy consumers aren’t buying policies because they fear premium increases.”

Medicare doesn’t pay for long-term care unless skilled nursing services are required and even then it’s only for 100 days.

Medicaid is the primary source of coverage for long-term care services and supports. In 2020, more than 30% of Medicaid’s $598 billion budget was for long-term care services, according to KFF. However, you need to make sure the senior qualifies for Medicaid in their state. For example, MedicaidPlanningAssistance.org says in 2024, a Pennsylvania single Nursing Home Medicaid applicant must have an income under $2,829 a month, assets under $2,000 and require a nursing home level of care.

Your parents’ savings may be of partial help at best. Figures calculated by The New York Times reveal that among seniors with between $171,000 to $1.8 million saved at age 65, about one in four living in a nursing home (23%) died broke between 2020 and 2021.

This may mean you’ll need to tap your savings to supplement what insurance and retirement savings can’t cover. To plan ahead, it helps to know where your older parents stand. Approaching potential care costs with clarity instead of guesswork can help prepare you financially for the possibility of a nursing home stay or other costs.

YOUR KIDS'
The Best Nanny Cams to Give You Peace of Mind

And you don't need to feel guilty about using one. “Not only are the nanny cams beneficial for the family, but they can also be beneficial for the nanny as well,” says Kelsey Barr, owner and founder of Three Flamingos Agency, a childcare matching service in Naples, Florida. “For the family, they provide peace of mind that their child is receiving the care they deserve. For the nanny, they can provide peace of mind that they’re giving proper care to the child [without] doubts or misconstructions.”

Our Favorite Nanny Cams

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Personally I am blessed but it could easily have gone south quick!!

CARING FOR PARENTS

When A Parent Must Take Care Of A Parent- How To Avoid Caregiver Burnout
For members of the so-called “sandwich generation,” doing double-duty caregiving can take a toll.

Serving as a caregiver for a parent with dementia while also caring for kids and maintaining social and work relationships can come with physical, mental and emotional challenges, several experts expressed to Fox News Digital. 

It can be especially difficult dealing with the role reversal, experts say.

CAREGIVING FOR A SPOUSE DURING GOOD TIMES AND BAD: ONE MILITARY MAN’S INCREDIBLE STORY

“The role of a parent is someone to look up to, respect and listen to,” Dr. Nancy Frye, PhD, a professor of psychology at Long Island University Post Campus in Brookville, New York, told Fox News Digital.

When a parent is in cognitive decline, questions arise about how to step out of traditional parent-child roles, she said, with “no clear norms or guidelines.”

“People have lived their lives looking up to their parents, turning to them for advice, and respecting their privacy and autonomy,” Frye continued. 

“Now, they find themselves poking around in their parents’ affairs and wondering when to start making decisions for them.”

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YOUR JOB
Man Who Quit Job to Be Stay-at-Home Dad Shares Reality of New Life

Nowadays, child care has become a precious commodity for many parents, and while some can afford this luxury, other parents, like Joey Foo have been forced to sacrifice their jobs to stay at home.

Foo, from Florida, made the unconventional decision to become a stay-at-home dad when his second daughter Ariana, now 3 years old, was born. His wife Samantha, 32, has always been the breadwinner as an ultrasound sonographer so leaving his job at Costco was the most feasible option.

Parents across the nation have long been burdened with the cost of child care. According to last year's Cost of Care report from Care.com, the average weekly day care cost has increased from $284 in 2022 to $321 per week in 2023.
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