As a follow-up to my last blog, I want to comment on how important it is for those of us who find ourselves (whether we truly “want” to or not, but do choose to do) responsible to and for such aging parents to take care of ourselves emotionally.

The truth is that through medical advancements and such, people are living longer with not necessarily good quality of life.  Do not be afraid to be honest with yourself and with (hopefully) at least one other person, and to tell them just how emotionally difficult it really is to care for and to advocate for these aging parents.  Honesty and self-examination are most definitely required for going through this process in a healthy way.  If you need to, get professional help.

Dealing with the anger, resentment, fears and sorrow around doing this care-taking is essential to avoid the burnout that accompanies these relationships.  It also enables us to give the love, support, and time necessary to do our care-taking with no martyrdom or debilitating sacrifice.  I’ll talk much more about this in the future.

Just remember to get help, and support.  They are the single most important parts of handling aging parents and the, often, great stress that is around caring for them.