WINTER PARK, Fla. — The United States population is aging faster than ever. According to the Census Bureau, one hundred years ago, 1 out of 20 Americans were senior citizens.

Now, 1 out of 6 people are seniors, and they expect the numbers to grow. 

More and more children are caring for their parents as they age. However, many find it difficult to care for loved ones because of work and the cost of nursing home facilities.

Shannon Feezor of Orlando knows how difficult it can be to take care of her parents and work at the same time.

Freezor has been caring for her 82-year-old mother, Janet Winterburn, for years and found a solution to her dilemma, so she did not have to leave her mom home alone.

“She did everything for me, so now it’s my turn,” said Freezor.

She drives her mother each morning, five days a week, to a facility called Share the Care in Winter Park.

“I can drop her off here. They have CNAs, HHAs and an RN on staff, so she’s always safe,” said Freezor.

Freezor has been taking her mom, who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, to the center since the pandemic.

She is worried about her mother and knows the struggles are going to continue to grow.

“It is only going to get worse. And I know that. And I hope I can do this as long as possible until I can’t work. Until things change for her,” said Freezor.

Share the Care offers a variety of services for seniors, including adult daycare, in-home respite, behavioral health services and caregiver training.

At daycare, families drop off seniors at a facility where professionals take care of them, engaging them with games, conversations, and socialization with other seniors.

Families then pick up their parent at the end of the day.

Share the Care CEO Mary Ellen Philbin believes it’s a great alternative to leaving them at home and unattended.

“If this service wasn’t available, the choice would probably have to be institutional care,” said Philbin.

The nonprofit has served Florida families for 30 years and Philbin says thanks to government support they offer more affordable options for seniors.

“A facility like a nursing home can cost between $70,000 to $100,000 a year. We are providing a little bit of services like you saw today in daycare and the other services we provide can just be a thousand to a couple thousand a month,” said Philbin.

Share the Care hopes adult daycare provides seniors with a sense of belonging, no matter the mental and physical challenges they face.

Share the Care has four different locations around Central Florida.