Know the costs of caring for your elderly parents at home

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₹80,000 every month on her dialysis and other costs. “Until last year, her treatment was based on medication. But, one day, she collapsed and had to be hospitalized, Now, she needs dialysis thrice a week.

One session costs ₹3,000," said Darshana. Besides, the couple spends about ₹1 lakh each year on tests and doctor visits. Thejesh’s medical insurance provided by his employer has covered the dialysis cost so far, but inflation is hurting.

“The per session cost of dialysis is getting revised to ₹4,000 and the insurance amount will fall short," said Darshana. The challenges of looking after elderly parents increase manifold when you live in different cities. Mumbai-based Shantanu Bhattacharya, 50, knows this too well.

Bhattacharya’s parents live in Kolkata in their own home but are financially dependent on him. Though he has always provided for them, the distance has started posing special challenges as his mother, a cancer survivor, has become partially immobile. “They now need constant care and physical support, which is difficult to monitor from here.

Also, for medical check-ups, she feels comfortable going to the hospital with me," he said. Shifting them to Mumbai is not financially feasible for him currently. “The expenses of ₹60,000-65,000 per month in Kolkata will jump to over ₹1 lakh in Mumbai given the higher cost of living here.

I know that I have to move them here eventually, but that may take some time," he said. Inflation has not spared Shantanu either. Until a year back, he spent about ₹30,000 on their medicines every month, which has now increased to ₹45,000.