HONOLULU (KHON2) — Maui resident Cheryl Wicklund had a successful career but when her mom started to slow down with dementia, she had no option but to retire early and take care of her full-time. A long-term care home was too costly and the wait lists were long.

“There’s a lot of people my age, we’re from the 70s and the 80s graduates, and they’re all taking care of their parent because they can’t afford to put their parent,” said Wicklund.

Cheryl said she stays up late and wakes up early to care for her mom, barely sleeping.

“Emotionally, I’m drained. Financially, I’m drained, even if we could have a tax credit, like a child credit, I think that would really help,” she added.

According to the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, the islands are experiencing super-aging, which is characterized by rapid growth in the population aged 75 and older.

UHERO said the population relies on public programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and to some extent on their adult children.

That makes working difficult.

“The issue is how do you make sure you have really good workers who can take time to take care of their loved ones and come back to work and be productive?” said Kealii Lopez, AARP Hawaii State Director.

A bill in the state legislature will require the state to create a paid family leave insurance program and it’s financed by payroll contributions.

Lopez said businesses are pushing back, but Hawaii needs workers.

“Hawaii has a large percentage of kupuna, and when you see so many young people leaving the fact is you are really losing family caregivers. That means there’s going to be a greater strain on the state to have to provide care services, so it’s really a win-win to have paid family leave,” said Lopez.

Cheryl hopes that there is light at the end of the tunnel, but her son has already moved to Oregon and she feels he might not be able to afford to come back home.

“It might not happen in my time, but hopefully sometime so that’s why now, with my children, I fear a lot like I don’t want them to have to go through what I have, what I’m going through, yeah, because it’s such a burden.”