Keith Pavlick has been caring for his parents as their health has declined. Keith Pavlick

Keith Alan Pavlick, 53, is moving his parents into assisted living, which will cost $9,000 monthly.

Pavlick's father has dementia, and Pavlick estimates memory care will cost $14,000 monthly.

The caregiving and long-term care experience has taken up every second of Pavlick's life.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Keith Alan Pavlick, 53, who works as a real estate agent in Orlando. Pavlick plans to sell his parents' home by next month and move his parents into an assisted living community, which will cost about $9,000 monthly, not including insurance or other medical costs. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

There's a lot more than just the dementia diagnosis .…