We couldn't afford elder care for my mom. A little-known program changed everything. Natalie Tucker with her 75-year-old mom, Sylvia. Courtesy of Natalie Tucker Natalie Tucker worried how her mom, without savings and on Social Security, could afford elder care. Carers cost up to $38 an hour in her area, and the price of assisted living was prohibitive. Tucker was delighted to find an adult program that offered free medical and day care. This interview is based on an interview with Natalie Tucker, 54, director of communications and development at a church, who splits her time between New Jersey and Maryland. She also works as an actor and voiceover artist. It has been edited for length and clarity. In the Spring of 2025, my 75-year-old mom fell a total of four times over six weeks at her apartment in an independent living community in northern Virginia. She spent hours on the floor before she was found and received help.…