This is something that Florida's going to spend the next 40 years with because we are at the epicenter of this age earthquake that's going to shake up America,'' he says. California leads the nation with an estimated 3 million caregivers. Such caregivers have the most difficult job of all because of the costs of looking after an ill senior. A portrait of Christie's parents rests among the implements used to care for her mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's. Christie moved from Michigan to Sunrise and for 11 years has cared for one or both of her parents.
Few companies provide support for families who care for elderly relatives.
Only 23 percent of companies with 100 or more employees have programs in place to support elder care, according to the Families and Work Institute. Almost three-fourths of those surveyed said elder care had taken a toll on their own health. The money his mother had saved went to pay for the home health aides who watched her for seven hours a day while Wise went to work for the City of Hollywood. Unable to afford additional aid at night, Wise shouldered the burden of care for his mother, Frances Wise-Serpico, until she passed away in May. If his mother had not already paid off the mortgage on the modest home where they live, he would have had to borrow against the house just to break even.