Families Are Stretched by the Care Gap

What's Happening

Care

Families Are Stretched by the Care Gap

What’s going on: You already pick up prescriptions, follow up after appointments, and keep an eye on your parents — but maybe you’ve started to wonder if they need more consistent help. Still, the moment you look into home care, it feels like the doors are closing. The Washington Post reports that funding cuts, a thinning workforce, and policy changes have created a perfect storm amid record demand for help. Openings for home health and personal care jobs are expected to jump 17% over the next decade, and spending on home health will almost double. Contributing to the crisis: Agencies already can’t hire fast enough for these roles, which pay around $35,000 annually, and federal policy changes have pinched an already-stretched industry that relies heavily on immigrants.

What it means: When care gets harder to find, families shoulder more of the load — hello, sandwich generation. But you can take steps to lighten the emotional load. Start by understanding what your parents need. If this conversation feels overwhelming, this Skimm+ script (on our membership platform) can help you find the right words and tone. Check what Medicare or Medicaid will cover so you can identify any financial gaps. You can also explore how to choose trustworthy care options, track expected costs, and find money-saving resources specifically for family caregivers. A handful of states offer more affordable senior care — we’re not saying move, but it can help shape your plans. And don’t forget yourself in all this: Lean on friends or relatives who’ve already navigated this and ask for help.

Related: Long-Term Care Costs Are Exploding — Who’s Paying? (Investopedia)

The News In 5

🗞️ SCOTUS appears poised to expand presidential power and reverse a 90-year precedent. 

🗞️ Renewed fighting over the Thai-Cambodian border dispute has killed at least five people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

🗞️ The Trump administration unveiled a $12 billion aid package to help America’s farmers struggling post-tariffs.

🗞️ Charcuterie boards, beware: Nine states recalled containers of mixed nuts over possible salmonella contamination concerns. Here’s what to do with the affected products.

🗞️ Some workers at the Louvre are going on strike. Can a museum hire a public relations firm?

Care

Yes, Your Baby Needs That Vitamin K Shot

What's going on: Babies can’t leave the hospital without a car seat, but they can depart without a vitamin K shot. And in a dangerous, new development, more and more parents are choosing to let their infants do just that, according to a new JAMA study. Vitamin K helps blood to clot, reducing the risk of severe bleeding in the brain and GI tract. For the last 60 years, doctors have recommended a simple shot for newborns because they have such low levels of vitamin K. But after tracking over 5 million births, researchers found that refusal of these shots jumped from under 3% in 2017 to 5% in 2024, impacting about 200,000 infants in total. Lately, more hospitals have reported cases of vitamin-K-deficiency-related bleeding — something pediatricians say should be virtually nonexistent.

What it means: Doctors say social media misinformation and increasing vaccine skepticism are tied to myths and misconceptions about vitamin K. (To be clear: This isn’t a vaccine.) If you’re expecting or planning for a baby, know this: Skipping the vitamin K shot increases your newborn’s risk of severe bleeding more than 80-fold. Don’t rely on influencers or anecdotes. Talk with your OB-GYN and pediatrician, bring questions, and ask them to explain exactly how the shot works and why it matters. Remember: Newborn bleeding from vitamin K deficiency is rare because this shot has worked so effectively for decades. Getting it isn’t just routine — it’s one of the most powerful ways to protect your baby in those first critical hours.

Related: Dr. Oz Just Told His Employees They Need To Eat Less This Holiday Season (Wired)

Business

Big Pharma Wants To Fire the Middleman

What's going on: Nothing says misery like standing in line at the pharmacy under the glow of fluorescent lights (that highlight every single pore). Those who want to cross that errand off their to-do list forever have turned to telehealth platforms. Big Pharma noticed. Over the past year, many major drugmakers started selling medications directly to patients through these platforms. By cutting out the middleman, manufacturers can slash prices. Some patients now pay half of what they’d usually spend — even without insurance. The shift to more direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales is driven largely by expensive weight-loss drugs that insurance doesn’t always cover. 

What it means: DTC sales could shake up the traditional pharmacy model — and that could be good news for your wallet. If you want to save, check whether the drugs you need are available directly from the manufacturer before hitting the pharmacy. Just be careful: Experts warn some companies might push pricier brand-name options, and over-prescription remains a risk. Complex medications, like certain biotech treatments, aren’t likely to show up on your doorstep anytime soon. Keep an eye on government programs that aim to give patients better prices on prescriptions.

Related: How the Price of Medicare Prescriptions Could Change in 2026 (CNBC)

On Our Calendar

A few things to jot down today…

🗓️ The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on a case about campaign finance limits.

🗓️ Baseball fans, assemble: The MLB draft lottery is on. 

🗓️ It’s National Pastry Day…flake out responsibly. And try Weekend Skimm Senior Editor Melissa Goldberg’s go-to lemon curd tart recipe.

Psst…For more dates worth knowing this week, check out the Skimm+ calendar.

Together with Samsung

High-Tech Gifts to Make Life Easier

From tablets to smart watches, everyone loves unwrapping the latest tech — especially from Samsung. For gifts they’ll use again and again, we recommend tech-ing (err, checking) out:

• This super-slim phone with Galaxy AI capabilities that filter out background noise and slow down action shots with Instant Slow-mo

• This do-it-all, durable tablet that’s portable, powerful, and made for multitasking

• This sleek smartwatch that tracks health metrics and shares personalized sleep coaching

Know It All

The Washington Post did the deep dive we all needed: What appears to be the most common zodiac sign in America?

Extra Credit

Reward

It’s no secret small business owners (SBOs) wear every hat — from CFO managing cash flow to IT support to posting on social media. One thing they definitely don’t have time for: Navigating complicated rewards from other credit card companies. Good thing the Capital One Venture X Business card offers simple, high-value benefits you can actually use. Think: double miles everywhere, a $300 annual travel credit, and 10K anniversary miles. Because running a business is hard — but earning rewards with Capital One? Easy peasy.*

Game Time

Start your Tuesday off right with Typeshift, a fun new game that challenges you to create words from a set number of letters. Warning: It’s very addicting. Start playing.