Family

My grandparents were in a serious car accident in May 2003 from a speeding driver without a license. Resulting in the loss of my grandmother and my grandfather was totally incapacitated. We almost lost him, but the wonderful help of…
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“Honor your father and mother” is a phrase that was drummed through my head ever since childhood. As an only child, I took this Biblical commandment quite seriously. Perhaps I took it too seriously at times, because throughout my life,…
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Many are caregivers but they don’t necessarily provide care. When one thinks of the term caregiver, perhaps a nurse or motherly type is conjured up in one’s mind? Not everyone is cutout for the role of caregiver. Caregivers often take…
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In an article for O Magazine titled “How to Care for Your Parents and Keep Your Sanity,” Martha Beck wrote that … “One thing I can say is that you’ll have fun with the responsibilities of eldercare if you enjoy…
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As more and more families become estranged by distance, many of our elderly are living by themselves. These once very independent people naturally don’t want to give up their homes and change their living situations. But living alone presents other problems…
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“Conduct based on moral or legal obligation, or a sense of propriety” is one of Webster’s definitions of the word duty. One’s obligation to their parents, at least for now, is not a legal obligation. Is it a moral obligation?…
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My fiance and I have discussed this topic at length. With four aging parents, we feel that this topic is important, sensitive, and conflict-causing for our life together. The idea of taking care of elderly parents is important to everyone, however,…
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It is absolutely our duty to support our elderly parents in any way that they require support. After all, they sacrificed and worked around the clock to bring us into adulthood. Regardless of the minor dysfunctions (major dysfunctions are another issue), most…
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I can not say I have a sick parent, but I have experienced something similar with my grandfather. He was a blind man, very kind, stubborn in his younger days but grew softer with age. He was not always blind,…
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My mother tells of a time when HER mother stomped her feet in frustration and anger and announced, “I don’t want you to be my mother!”  And believe me, Mom didn’t want that either!  But sometimes, this is how things…
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Working in childcare gives me an insight to things I never thought possible. Our lives are a cycle. We start out helpless, with no hair or very little, no teeth, wrinkled, dependent on others for assistance in all areas of…
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Compassion FatigueBodily Symptoms of Empathy Medical professionals such as physicians, nurses, psychotherapists, and emergency workers, who help traumatized patients may develop their own Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms as an indirect response to their patient’s suffering. This phenomenon has…
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Unlike many years ago when children could stay home until they were old enough to go to school and aging parents could move in with their married sons or daughters and their families when they were no longer capable of…
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What to do about elderly relatives is enough to make anyone’s head spin. They are independent and have single handedly raised their families and prize the lives that they have built. They are the indestructible grandparents of your childhood memories….
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Should you move your elderly parent into your house? Here in Greece it is quite normal to take the remaining parent into your house if he or she can’t live on his/her own anymore. It is not easy but if…
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As the elderly population continues to grow exponentially, more and more baby boomers will find themselves making life altering decisions such as, “what’s the best way in which to care for their elders?” Some may not even have a choice…
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It is not your duty to support your elderly parents financially when the need arises, and I say this for many reasons. Firstly, they chose to have children when they had you and maybe other children, too. It was a…
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When you make the decision to care for an elderly parent, you are taking on a huge responsibility. In my situation, I was my dad’s caregiver, but since I am single and lost my house, I had to move home…
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The role of the family caregiver can best be described with the following words: compassion, decision maker, peace keeper, parent, financial analyst, chauffeur. Certainly these aren’t all inclusive for every situation is different. Compassion is so important for the parent…
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Being poor does not mean people can’t be happy. Many happy people are poor. Poverty is a lack of money but monetary worth doesn’t always make people happy. Spending time together as a family is a great start to creating…
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In an Indian society, parents look after their children and inturn, children look after their parents. Its not a new custom, but has always been part of the Indian tradition. In theory, all of us have a lot of ideas…
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Whether your relationship with your parents is one of loving devotion or one of constant disagreements, you know they need your help and protection as the enter their elder years. They were always there for you when you needed them….
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The most precious gift you can give your child is love. It can be a soothing remedy to any cause. Love can provide the comfort and security every child needs to grow and prosper. Beginning at the wake of life, love solidifies…
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At some point in most adults lives, they consider moving their elderly parents into their house. Sometime, they have to make this decision because their parents are not financially able to care for themselves, or their parents may be suffering…
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The correlation between money and family happiness is akin to the balance between life and death. It is difficult in American society to live within our means and be content with the things that we have. If you are diligent…
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Money may not buy happiness, but that doesn’t make it easy to be poor. Being poor can have a very strong impact on family life. Whether that impact is negative or positive depends largely on the attitudes of the adult…
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Old and young together, that old black spiritual song would sing, “Oh what a time, what a time, what a time, when all of Gods children get together, what a time, what a time, what a time “. With the…
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The decision to move your elderly parent into your home is not an easy one and is more often than not, the wrong one. We have a sense of duty in us that tells us that we need to be…
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Family.  It seems like a simple word but the truth is that it’s much more than a word. It’s a living entity with a pulse and a multiple personality that can bring out the best and the worst in any…
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Combining day care and elder care is probably one of the most interesting ideas to come about when addressing the needs for both age groups. There are many elderly individuals who still maintain an active and sharp mind but may…
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