Since I know there are a lot of you out there who are taking care of parents at the same time you're raising little ones, a couple of pieces in today's news seemed like good bits to pass along.

The first is from the UK, but the information works beyond geographic boundaries, although I'll have to do some currency conversion for you. (I don't mind a bit!)

A "Cost of Parent" survey -- yes, how much it costs to take care of aging parents -- was conducted recently by a financial services company in Britain, and it has people grumbling, and government scrambling to come up with some spin in a positive direction by the time the Labour Party meets in Bournemouth ... a town in the South of England Mark and I lived in for a couple of years, so thereby dreaded the semi-annual invasion of Labour Party reps ... next week.

According to reports of the survey's findings, one in eight British adults have parents or in-laws who need assistance, and more than six million of them give more than 33 hours of their own time every month. Over a ten-year period, the amount of unpaid time spent amounts to an equivalent of almost $230,000 (£113,336).

Those choosing a residential care home for their parents end up paying close to $150,000 (£74,000) for the two-and-a-half years the average elderly parent stays in such homes.

Adults with kids at home ... That's us, folks! ... get at least the double whammy -- some have grandkids, too, so that could make it triple -- with the report's calculation that raising a child to the age of 21 costs in the neighborhood of $400,000 (£180,000).

Anybody want to add that up? Not me.

An interesting comment on the article suggests that the government must be very happy with relatives taking on the cost, the work and the effort because of the "billions it saves the UK", and goes on to warn, " ANY reader here that isn't a Carer could become one at ANY TIME, it takes an accident or illness to disable a close relative or spouse and YOU dear reader will be in this situation, a million people a year become Carers ... ".

A question from a concerned adult caring for parents prompts this response in the Business Inquirer, that insists looking into parental financial status is a must if we're to be looking after Mom and Dad.

Not only will access to the information on what and where come in vitally handy should death or sudden illness befall, knowing the scoop can also help bring peace of mind to all involved.

Listing five questions that children should ask as basics to getting a handle on the reality -- What assets are there? What liabilities? Do they expect to need support? What sort of insurance do they have? Is there a signed power or attorney? -- the article gives a helpful first step to those who might not know where to start or how to broach what can be an uncomfortable topic.