Business, Finance & Tech
California Family Caregivers Struggle With Rising Long-Term Care Costs
More than 7 million Californians are providing care for family members and loved ones, but advocates say many are struggling to find affordable long-term care and in-home assistance.
According to AARP, approximately 23% of adults in California are family caregivers. Nationally, the number of family caregivers has grown to an estimated 63 million, or nearly one in four American adults, according to AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving.
For families caring for aging relatives with serious medical conditions, finding affordable help can be especially difficult.
Anica Leon-Weil, a single mother from Santa Cruz, spent six years caring for her late mother, who had Alzheimer's disease. She says finding a memory care facility that accepted Medi-Cal proved to be a major challenge.
Leon-Weil recalled that the most affordable memory care option she could find cost approximately $7,000 per month and required her mother to leave her home.
She said the lack of affordable options placed an enormous burden on families already trying to manage everyday expenses.
Advocates warn that potential cuts to Medi-Cal could add further pressure to an already strained long-term care system, particularly for low-income seniors who depend on public assistance for healthcare and support services.
Leon-Weil also pointed to a shortage of memory care facilities willing to accept Medi-Cal, leaving some families with limited choices when a loved one can no longer safely live independently.
She believes policymakers need to reconsider how resources are allocated and strengthen programs that help families care for aging relatives.
Among the ideas she supports are expanded housing assistance, childcare subsidies, universal healthcare and programs that provide additional financial support to low-income households.
For Leon-Weil, the issue is personal. After years of caring for her mother, she says families should not have to choose between meeting their own basic needs and providing care for someone they love.
As California's population ages, advocates say the need for affordable long-term care and support for family caregivers will continue to grow.
By: Public News Service
November 14, 2026
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