Margaret Newcomb, 69, a retired French teacher, is desperately trying to protect her retirement savings by caring for her 82-year-old husband, who has severe dementia, at home in Seattle. She used to fear his disease-induced paranoia, but now he’s so frail and confused that he wanders away with no idea of how to find his way home. He gets lost so often that she attaches a tag to his shoelace with her phone number. They ran up $15,000 in medical and credit card debt while she took on the role of caretaker. “I had to do it.”Millions of families are facing such daunting life choices — and potential financial ruin — as the escalating costs of in-home care, assisted-living facilities and nursing homes devour the savings and incomes of older Americans and their relatives.

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Persons: Margaret Newcomb, Feylyn Lewis, Sheila Littleton, ”, “ Locations: French, Seattle, England, Nashville, Houston