Aging Parents

[happymomof4]

As we get older our parents get older. Do you have a game plan for when your parents need help as they get older?

Maybe you have gone thru this already with you parents. What are some of the issues that you had to deal with?


So far I have been lucky. My parents are in their late 60's early 70's. My dad still works full time and has some medical problems. My mom also works but not in the best of health.

My youngest sister helps our parents the most with medical issues. She has a medical background and understands things better then the rest of us. So she goes to my mom's heart doctor and some other appts. She also works the midnight shift so she can go with my parents during the day. Which my older sister and I are very lucky she can do this. My older sister helps my parents with paperwork and taxes if they need help. I live the furthest away and don't see them on a regular basis.

My mil is deceased. My fil has major medical issues. He lives with the youngest daughter. She handles everything for him. Dh would have loved for his dad to live with us. But 2 years ago when my mil died we had 8 people in our house so that wasn't a good time. Now he will never move out of my sil's house. Which is fine with me. I don't have to deal with my dh's wacky family.

[cau]

I have dealt with parents growing older on both sides. My dad died at 70 and was doing great until cancer took him. My mom lived by herself for years and I took care of her medical and financial needs. She eventually moved in with us, which helped ease my burden a lot. My girls were a great help in caring for her. My 1 brother took over the sales of her house after she died.
A few years after my mil died my fil remarried but the care and upkeep of his 2 flat fell to my dh. We maintained the house until his widow died.
As 1 of 4 children I would suggest you let your sisters know how much you appreciate what they do. My one brother complained until I finally told him shut up or get off your duff and do some of this work. There are still hard feeling between us I’m sorry to say.

[Haleys grandmom]

I am an only child and have complete care of my mother, I have no family around to help. She is 85 and we almost lost her in May due to 2 types of staff infection , pneumonia 3 times while in the hospital and hip surgery. She is completely bedridden so it means diapers, feeding her ,bathing,etc. She has problems with the hip from the surgery and can't walk. She is blind from maccular degeneration, has moderate Alzheimer, is completely deaf and she has Parkinson's disease. I have no help at all, My family consists of cousins and they don't care about her, one lives 18 miles from me and she has seen my mom1 time since April. My daughter lives in Iowa so she is just to far away. When a nurse comes in it's only for 5 minutes once a week and a cna for a bath for 15 minutes for a bath. It is so hard I have no time to do anything I enjoy.I have to hire a babysitter at 20.00 an hour and that is impossible to do very often.

[cau]

Joyce, have you checked with Social Security about what she is due?? Also try the city and state resources for the aging. Any help would offer you some relief