{"id":290536,"date":"2026-04-29T00:01:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T00:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/290536\/"},"modified":"2026-04-29T00:01:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T00:01:14","slug":"californias-aging-boom-is-reshaping-how-families-find-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/290536\/","title":{"rendered":"California\u2019s Aging Boom Is Reshaping How Families Find Care"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n California\u2019s population is
\n getting older. By 2040, the number of residents 65 and older is
\n expected to rise by 59 percent, from 5.7 million to more than 9
\n million, according to the
\n Public Policy Institute of
\n California<\/a>. Longer
\n lifespans, chronic health conditions and a strong preference for
\n aging at home are also driving the demand for aging life care
\n consultants who can help families ensure their loved ones receive
\n the best possible care.\n<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Liz Heape-Caldwell is co-owner of Elder Options in Placerville.
\n (Courtesy photo)\n<\/p>\n

Few
\n understand the complexities of aging and caregiving better than
\n Liz Heape-Caldwell. As co-owner of Elder Options in Placerville
\n and a Certified Aging Life Care Manager, she helps families
\n navigate the health care system for their aging loved ones. She\u2019s
\n also part of the \u201csandwich generation,\u201d balancing the demands of
\n raising children while caring for aging parents. That delicate
\n balance became deeply personal when her own mother, Carol,
\n suffered two strokes in 2024.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI\u2019ve been doing this work for a
\n long time, but experiencing it as a daughter and having to
\n navigate care for my mom was eye-opening,\u201d says
\n Heape-Caldwell.\n<\/p>\n

Related:\u00a0When the Sun Sets on the
\n Golden Years: The hardship and high cost of caring for a loved
\n one in decline<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Her mother, now retired, founded
\n Elder Options in 1988 as a sole proprietor. Today, they co-own
\n the business, which employs 75 staff members who serve as care
\n managers and provide home care to clients. They work with
\n families throughout Placerville and the greater Sacramento area,
\n serving both private-pay clients and those on Medi-Cal through
\n the assisted living waiver program.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI\u2019ve been a care manager for 23
\n years and I can\u2019t imagine doing anything else,\u201d Heape-Caldwell
\n says. \u201cI love helping families, and it\u2019s an honor to provide
\n older adults with care and guidance.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n As the 2026 president of the
\n Aging Life Care Association\u2019s Western Regional Chapter,
\n Heape-Caldwell and her colleagues serve as advocates for clients
\n and their families. While much of their work focuses on older
\n adults, she says they also support people across the age
\n spectrum.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe are seeing a shift with
\n younger people who have mental health challenges or
\n neurodiversity,\u201d she explains. \u201cMany adult children have lived
\n with their parents their whole lives, and now their parents are
\n aging. Families worry about what will happen if a parent has a
\n stroke or becomes ill. Who will care for the adult child they\u2019ve
\n always supported?\u201d\n<\/p>\n

A whole person approach<\/p>\n

\n Heape-Caldwell says aging life
\n care consultants emphasize a whole person approach to
\n care.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe focus on the health and
\n well-being of the individual,\u201d she says. \u201cIf someone is at home
\n and has had multiple hospitalizations, we start by stabilizing
\n their medical care, but then we also look at what\u2019s missing in
\n their life. Maybe they used to go to church every Sunday or
\n attend a knitting group on Mondays but have stopped. Part of our
\n job is helping bring those activities back and ensuring their
\n quality of life in addition to maintaining stable health.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Unfortunately, her first contact
\n with families is often during a crisis.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI\u2019d love for people to reach out
\n earlier. A few come to talk about future planning, but most of
\n the time we\u2019re called in when it\u2019s urgent,\u201d Heape-Caldwell says.
\n \u201cWhen a parent or grandparent has a medical crisis, families are
\n bombarded with opinions from doctors, physical therapists, and
\n hospital staff. Everyone can have a different opinion on next
\n steps, and it\u2019s overwhelming. If they live far away, it\u2019s even
\n worse.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n The role of an aging life care
\n consultant, Heape-Caldwell explains, is to step in, review all
\n options and guide families through the process. That might
\n include accompanying patients to doctor\u2019s appointments,
\n identifying gaps in care or helping with financial or insurance
\n issues related to care.\n<\/p>\n

Related:\u00a0This Is What Aging Well
\n Looks Like Today: Sacramento experts say aging well starts with
\n connection and movement<\/a><\/p>\n

\n \u201cIf mom just had a stroke, we
\n determine if she\u2019s eligible for acute rehab or skilled nursing,\u201d
\n Heape-Caldwell says. \u201cWe talk to doctors, coordinate care and
\n make sure families feel supported instead of navigating it
\n alone.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n The questions she hears most
\n often are: \u201cWhat\u2019s next? I don\u2019t know what to do or what kind of
\n care my mom needs.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cOften a parent who was living
\n independently has a sudden stroke, and now doctors are
\n recommending skilled nursing care,\u201d Heape-Caldwell says.
\n \u201cFamilies worry she\u2019ll end up just lying in bed with no support.
\n They want to know whether skilled nursing will be temporary or if
\n she\u2019ll stay there long-term.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Once a client is in a skilled
\n nursing facility, or care home, Heape-Caldwell says her team
\n stays in close contact with the case manager and rehab doctor to
\n plan for a potential discharge.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe work on that plan to ensure
\n the right medical equipment and home modifications are in place,
\n maybe a commode, shower grab bar, or other supports,\u201d she says.
\n \u201cWe also help set up caregiver services. Even after the client
\n transitions home, we stay involved to make sure the care
\n continues smoothly.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Families can retain the services
\n of an aging life care consultant for as long as they need.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe may check in once a month,
\n and if something happens, we can step in and be more involved,\u201d
\n Heape-Caldwell says. \u201cOr sometimes, a family is just overwhelmed
\n and just needs us to jump in and develop a plan for the
\n short-term.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Although aging life care
\n consultants aren\u2019t new, and the field is growing, Heape-Caldwell
\n says many families don\u2019t realize this kind of help exists.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI think it\u2019s partly a lack of
\n awareness, but I also think a lot of families believe they need
\n to handle it all by themselves,\u201d she says.\n<\/p>\n

Helping families find
\n answers and care<\/p>\n

\n Rebecca Johnson, a social worker
\n with over 25 years of experience and owner of Your Elder Care
\n Specialist in El Dorado Hills, realized how complex elder care is
\n when her 89-year-old mother-in-law needed medical care.\n<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Rebecca Johnson is owner of Your Elder Care Specialist in El
\n Dorado Hills. (Courtesy photo)\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew
\n how to navigate mental health care and pediatric health care
\n through my career as a social worker, but when it came to
\n Medicare, Medi-Cal, skilled nursing and care homes, I was lost,\u201d
\n Johnson admits.\n<\/p>\n

\n After being introduced to an
\n elder care specialist, Johnson learned what her mother-in-law
\n qualified for in terms of benefits and how to ensure she received
\n appropriate care.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI was so intrigued by the job
\n that I decided I wanted to make a shift in my career,\u201d she says.
\n In 2016, Johnson launched Your Elder Care Specialist, offering
\n families in Sacramento, El Dorado and Placer counties assessment
\n and placement services to help them navigate the complexities of
\n senior care.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI believe knowledge is power
\n when it comes to helping families make the right decisions,\u201d she
\n says. Johnson supports clients as they navigate options such as
\n assisted living, memory care facilities, board and care homes,
\n in-home providers, and hospice services. \u201cMy goal is to ensure
\n families understand all their options so that we can find
\n solutions that fit both their needs and their budget.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Related:\u00a0Sheri
\n Peifer Is Building Communities Where Aging Comes With
\n Purpose<\/a><\/p>\n

\n On a typical day, Johnson meets
\n with families and tours two to three care communities alongside
\n them.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe walk through the facility
\n with them, answer their questions, make sure that they understand
\n the nuances of how a community operates, what\u2019s provided and
\n what\u2019s not,\u201d she says. \u201cOnce they\u2019ve made a choice, we guide them
\n through the next steps, from completing paperwork to coordinating
\n moving logistics if needed.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n She also works closely with
\n families whose loved ones are preparing to leave the hospital but
\n aren\u2019t sure what level of care comes next.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cOnce a discharge date is set, we
\n make sure they\u2019re connected with the right resources, whether
\n that\u2019s in-home care, home health, hospice or other support
\n services,\u201d she explains. \u201cWe\u2019ll also review available benefits,
\n since certain health care plans can help offset costs.\n<\/p>\n

\n Like many aging life care
\n professionals, Johnson is often called in when families are
\n facing a sudden health crisis. It might be a parent with dementia
\n who has wandered from home or a serious health event that makes
\n living alone no longer safe.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cSometimes it\u2019s a fall or a
\n medical event that lands someone in the ER, and suddenly doctors
\n are saying they need 24-hour care and may be discharged as soon
\n as the next day,\u201d Johnson says. \u201cIn those moments, families are
\n overwhelmed. We\u2019re able to step in quickly and help them navigate
\n what needs to happen next.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n As older adults transition to a
\n new living arrangement, Johnson makes sure the move is
\n seamless.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe follow up with both the care
\n facility and the family after a couple of days and later after a
\n few weeks to ensure everything is going well,\u201d she says. \u201cWe
\n always want to make sure that everybody\u2019s happy and that our
\n relationship doesn\u2019t end at placement. We\u2019re always open to them
\n calling and asking questions.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Johnson notes that the health
\n care system is constantly evolving, with programs and benefits
\n frequently changing, making it difficult for families to navigate
\n care on their own. And with skilled nursing facilities in
\n Sacramento averaging between $12,000 and $15,000 a month, cost is
\n often a major concern.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe\u2019re often approached by adult
\n children who worry their parents don\u2019t have the financial
\n resources for care or are living solely on Social Security,\u201d she
\n says. \u201cWe walk them through all their options, looking at whether
\n they qualify for veterans\u2019 benefits, how to apply for Medi-Cal,
\n and how to navigate those systems effectively. We can also
\n suggest alternatives like board and care homes, that may be more
\n budget-friendly while still meeting their care needs.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Johnson says she often works with
\n families who are struggling with feelings of guilt, especially
\n when a parent\u2019s medical needs become too complex to manage at
\n home.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cGuilt is incredibly common,\u201d she
\n says. \u201cWe help families work through those emotions and
\n understand that choosing additional care isn\u2019t giving up, it\u2019s
\n about keeping their loved one safe. When someone is aging and
\n living with dementia, their health and safety are the top
\n priority.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2013\n<\/p>\n

\n Never miss a story: Get Comstock\u2019s weekly newsletter<\/a> delivered to your
\n inbox.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"California\u2019s population is getting older. By 2040, the number of residents 65 and older is expected to rise…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":290537,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":["post-290536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=290536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290536\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/290537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=290536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=290536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=290536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}