The "Silver Tsunami" is Here, and We're Not Ready

Michelle Cottle's recent piece on navigating her father's final months reveals a crisis hiding in plain sight:

The numbers are staggering:

• 10,000+ baby boomers turn 65 daily

• 59 million Americans are informal caregivers

• Yet 64% experience high emotional stress, 45% suffer physical strain, and up to 70% show symptoms of depression

The isolation is real. Despite millions walking this path, our culture avoids the conversation—leaving caregivers struggling alone with twice the rate of chronic illness as non-caregivers.

The care gap is widening. Visa restrictions and political tensions are limiting the foreign-born caregivers who have disproportionally filled this role—caregivers from cultures that deeply honor both elders and those who care for them.

When my father-in-law needed care in his final months, we depended on compassionate caregivers from other countries. They didn't just provide services—they brought dignity, respect, and genuine pride in their work.

We need to have honest conversations about eldercare in America. The demographic wave isn't coming—it's already here.

#Caregiving #ElderCare #Healthcare #AgingPopulation #EOLplanning #EOLeducation