Realizing that your parent has become incapable of caring for herself or making reasonable decisions about her property is a heart-wrenching discovery.
Few things test sibling relationships more than when the time comes to actively manage the lives of their aging parents.
If you’ve ever watched a crime drama, this scene is probably familiar. A beat cop hustles a criminal into the police station for booking.
Are you concerned because your mom is lonely? Maybe she can no longer drive to bingo on Monday evenings and she misses her friends. Or are you worried because your dad doesn’t bathe often enough?
Finding care for your aging parent is a huge responsibility, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Can your mom age in place, or do you need to consider a residential facility? Should you hire a private caregiver or a licensed home health aide?
The medical, legal, and financial aspects of providing long-term care for an aging parent can be daunting.
Maybe you’ve noticed that mom or dad is “starting to slip.” Or maybe they’ve had a health scare: a fall that didn’t break a hip, or flu that didn’t become pneumonia. Take a moment to breathe a sigh of relief.
If you care for an aging parent, you’ve probably put considerable effort into making sure her home is safe and she has appropriate medical care.
Going home for the holidays can bring great joy but for those who haven’t seen their aging parents or grandparents in a while, it can also bring new -- and sometimes -- troubling insights.
For many of us, a week does not go by without someone raising the topic of home care for an aging parent. The path to resolution is a long one. Parents are often resistant, or even in denial.