$20K/MO sounds exaggerated. A quick Google gives me

Palo Alto was deemed the seventh most expensive location for assisted living in California, according to a new study by Mirador, a platform that helps people research nationwide assisted living locations.

The average yearly cost of assisted living in Palo Alto is $91,177, compared to the state average of $63,927, according to the study.

Source: From https://www.paloaltoonline.com/seniors/2024/10/04/study-reve....

That’s pretty damning if life expectancy after retirement is another 15-20 years.

I think the issue with elder care is about the balance of workers vs retirees, which is an problem (or will be a problem) in most developed countries.