This is in conversation from Apple News. I'm Shemeuth Absu. Today, how to make

aging better in America. Recently on this show we've been bringing you the voices of experts who are thinking

about how to fix big problems in this country. We heard Ezra Klein's ideas on how to fix politics, Emily Oster's proposals to help working

parents, Mark Bitman's suggestions on how to make our food system better.

Today, we're turning to an issue that impacts or will

eventually impact almost every single person in this country, aging. I took care

of my father who had dementia. I take care of my 83 year old mother.

I live in Boynton Beach, Florida. I moved down here three years ago to help take care of my father.

I live in New Mexico. I fly to San Francisco on a

regular basis to arrange my mom's care. I saw firsthand how demanding it is to care for someone.

Care is incredibly expensive.

It costs $262,800 to take care of somebody 24 hours a day, seven days a week at $30 an hour.

It is very overwhelming for someone like me.

It's very difficult when you have not had to get services your whole life and all of a sudden you need help and you don't know where to go, what's the answer?

Those are just some of the calls we got when we asked listeners to tell us about their experiences as they've gotten older or

had to care for an aging loved one. Multiply these stories by millions and you'll

start to get an idea of the challenges ahead. The US Census estimates that by the year 2030,

20% of our population will be over 65. And that number is going to continue to climb as

advancements in medicine and technology allow people to live longer than ever.

The reality of living longer is actually a blessing, but it's really challenging unnecessarily so right now because we have not done the work to prepare,

to be able to support a dignified quality of life as we live longer.

That's Igen poo.

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