For the last 10 years I was a support, and finally a caregiver for my elderly mother, who had many health issues. She was legally blind, on oxygen, and had a triple aneurism. The last nine months she lived in long-term care and I was there every day until she died.
The reality about taking care of an elderly parent is something most won’t admit, so I’m going to bring the elephant into the room. Elderly parents lose their independence, and the more they lose, the more demanding they become.
They blame you for their distress, they battle depression, and they’re often difficult to work with. They don’t want any outside help. They won’t take advice. They want one person to be their everything—their chauffeur to the doctor, their housekeeper, their confidant.
It’s easy to get out of balance and feel exhausted, especially if you’ve already decided that balance is off the table.
Questions to consider
1. What in your life is causing you to feel out of balance?
2. What kind of conversation do you need to have to help restore balance?
3. What would balance look like for you at this point in time?
Click here to read the rest of this article which I posted on my LinkedIn newsletter.
To your well-being,
Marlene Chism
