Elder care is crushing family finances. These 4 families had to get creative to make it work.

Business Insider has talked to several families in the US about the high costs of elder care.

Courtesy of the families Eldercare costs have soared as families juggle financial strain and caregiving for aging loved ones.

Dozens of families told Business Insider that they've made financial and health sacrifices.

Four families explain how they've navigated the skyrocketing costs of long-term care.

Kim Berling anticipates living a very long life .

Much of it, though, may not go as she wants.

Berling, 66, and her husband, 72, have cared for her 99-year-old mother-in-law.

Both work to support her as her memory fades and her health declines .

Berling and her husband, who lives in Albuquerque, make the nine-hour drive to visit her in Texas once a month and help pay for caregivers.

Neither of them has anything saved for their long-term care.

"We work because we have to, not because we want to," Berling said.

Are you paying for your own or your loved one's long-term care? Do you have thoughts to share about long-term care in the US? To share your story with a reporter, please fill out this quick form .

Over the past few months, Business Insider has spoken to dozens of families navigating long-term care for their loved ones and themselves.

Reporters have spoken to families spending six figures each year on dementia care , spending a year's worth of paychecks on home renovations to accommodate loved ones, and quitting high-paying jobs to take on full-time caregiving .