Can You Overcome Your Resistance To Parenting Your Aging Parent?

It’s uncomfortable. The idea that you have to tell your elders what to do or take over things for them seems strange. The people who once guided and protected you may now need you to do the same for them. For many adult children, this shift in roles can be challenging. You don’t want to undermine their independence or take away their personal dignity. But if you fail to act, their vulnerability itself will destroy any remnants of independence. And there is nothing dignified about having to be hospitalized because they forgot to take their medications, or they fell on the unsafe stairs in their home. Likewise, letting impaired elders stumble financially and get scammed is not a way to honor their independence.

If you find yourself in this situation, you’re not alone. Consider these ideas to help with the transition to that role you don’t really want.