Washingtonians for a Responsible Future

The Seattle Times: The debilitating cost of long-term care

Lauren Bonazzo Camarda wrote an opinion piece to the Seattle Times that was published April 16th. Camarda has lived in Seattle for 10 years and is a graduate student at the University of Washington School of Social Work. She writes:

At 28 years old, the cost of long-term health care was something that had never crossed my mind. It wasn’t until my mother was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer that I began to understand the importance and high price of long-term care.

Facing a frightening diagnosis, my mother strove to hold on to the things in her life she could still control. Staying in her home and remaining as independent as possible were very important to her. At the time of her diagnosis, I was living across the country, but I was able to take time away from work to move back to Connecticut and help her accomplish that goal.

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