Family Matters: The Money Squeeze

Ida Christian, who suffers from dementia, gets help from her granddaughter, Yolanda Hunter (left), in blowing out the candles on her birthday cake. Yolanda quit her lucrative job to become Ida's full-time caregiver. Kainaz Amaria/NPR hide caption

Natasha Shamone-Gilmore (right) at church with her husband, Curtis Gilmore (center), and her father, Franklin Brunson, 81. Shamone-Gilmore moved her father into her Capitol Heights, Md., home after he developed dementia. Kainaz Amaria/NPR hide caption

Ida Christian, 89, was diagnosed with dementia in 2008. Her condition demands around-the-clock care. Kainaz Amaria/NPR hide caption

AnnaBelle Bowers' long-time physician, Walter Watkin, gives her a kiss on the forehead at the end of her visit. When asked how long she had been coming to see him, he said, "Long enough for her file to be 2 inches thick." Kainaz Amaria/NPR hide caption

Maryland resident Nicholas McDonald, 24, has briefly abandoned his musical aspirations to enter the workforce and contribute to the family's finances. "I'd like to give my mom $100 every now and then," he says. Kainaz Amaria/NPR hide caption

Frank stands outside his home in Glen Allen, Va., which he co-owned with his mother, Ida. The family recently sold the home in order to free up money for Ida's care. Kainaz Amaria/NPR hide caption

Chris Martin, 14, greets his great-grandmother AnnaBelle Bowers, 87, who lives part time with the Martin family in Harrisburg, Pa. Kainaz Amaria/NPR hide caption

Parents can make a difference in whether their kids become spenders or savers, studies find. iStockphoto.com hide caption

Jane Gross, author of A Bittersweet Season Michael Lionstar hide caption