Long Beach resident wins $50,000 home remodeling contest for his mother's long-term care

The nonprofit group called 3in4 Need More awarded a $50,000 Caregiver Home Makeover to Long Beach resident John Simich, the primary caregiver for his 87-year-old mother, Laila, who has dementia. The renovation involved improved safety for his mother. John Simich and his mother Laila Simich are escorted to see the renovated home by show host Dr. Marion Somers. (Sean Hiller/Staff Photographer)

John Simich drives his 87-year-old mother to run all of her errands.

He takes her to lunch to get her out of the house.

He lives in her Long Beach home so she's not alone. And he even sleeps on a couch in front of her room so he's nearby in case anything happens.

Like so many baby boomers, Simich is a caregiver.

"I eyeball her," he says. "If I didn't care, she would have been gone a long time ago."

Though willing to take on this role for his mother, Laila, who is suffering from dementia and arthritis, he wasn't exactly prepared.

He was laid off from his job about a year ago, and money has been tight ever since. There were multiple issues with their home that needed to be fixed for him

One day while browsing the Internet, he came across an ad for a contest by 3in4 Need More, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about the need for long-term care planning.

The contest's prize was a home renovation for a caregiver in order to create a safer environment for the person being cared for.

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Long Beach resident wins $50,000 home remodeling contest for his mother's long-term care