LOS ANGELES — For San San Tint, a typical morning is a delicate high-stakes exercise in clinical precision. Feeding her 89-year-old father, U Kyi Wong, is not just about nutrition; it is about survival. “For a chronic dementia patient like my father, you have to be incredibly careful to prevent choking,” San San explains. “When I give him water, I have to know exactly when to add the thickener to prevent asphyxia. Most hired caregivers don’t have the patience for this level of detail; they often quit after a week. That is why I had to become his full-time caregiver myself.” San San’s story is the face of a burgeoning national reality. To care for her father who suffers from advanced dementia and Parkinson’s disease, San San made the ultimate professional sacrifice. In 2023, she shuttered her profitable restaurant to step into a role that has no days off and no salary. The Caregiver’s Marathon: Data of Disruption According to recent data from AARP, caregiving has transitioned from a temporary family duty into a multi-year “marathon.” The average duration of care now spans 5.5 years, with 29% of caregivers providing support for five years or more—a sharp increase from 24% just five years ago. While 51% of caregivers report that their role gives their life a sense of meaning, the financial and emotional toll is staggering. For working caregivers, the strain is a “double burden.” Data shows that 31% of working caregivers have exhausted their short-term savings to manage care expenses, compared to 20% of those not in the workforce. In San San’s case, her father’s dementia was compounded by a condition known as the “Levodopa Paradox,” where the very medication intended to treat Parkinson’s causes vivid hallucinations. “When I ran the restaurant, the income was stable,” San San says.