Aging Parents Care

Aging Parents Care



Aging Parents Care

Introduction

They have taken care of you all their life. They have answered your million questions, without getting irritated. They have given even their own blankets to you, when you felt cold. They have worn old cloths, so you could buy new ones. They never went for holidays, so you could go with your friends. They have made countless sacrifices to provide you with all the facilities, which you always took for granted (Lee et al, 1994b). Now your parents have grown old and are unable to take care of themselves. So what should you do? Send them to an old-age home, where they would be left to fend for themselves? Or, like the children of “Baghban” movie, separate them and force them to spend their life in the closed proximity of four walls? Today, most of the people are so busy in their life that they neither have time nor inclination to spend some time with their aging parents (Whitbeck et al, 1994). They would rather spend their hours playing bridge with their so-called friends, rather than sit with their parents for a few minutes. Though harsh, this is the truth! Still, there are some people who want to take care of their parents in their old age, who consider the responsibility to be an honor and privilege. If you are one of them, read on to explore some tips on taking care of your aging parents.

Analysis

Caring for aging parents can be challenging and difficult at times, but it is also an honor and privilege to do so, as well as a God-given responsibility for everyone in the family. “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (English, 1979). Taking care of the needs of elderly parents can also put a strain on marriages unless clear boundaries are set and adhered to, along with getting the supportive help and assistance of all siblings, children and grandchildren. Not only is it important and necessary to care for aging parents, but it is just as important to care for the needs of your own immediate family, such as the husband/wife relationship and that of any children (Cicirelli, 1989).

The aging parent/child relationship cannot and must not supersede the relationship between husband and wife as first priority, as this goes against the marriage vows spoken before God and witnesses to “leave and cleave unto each other”, thereby creating needless stress and strain on the marital relationship (Wolfson et al, 1993). It is extremely important to understand the difference between caring for needs versus wants, as taking care ofelderly parents can often lead adult children to become enablers of their own parents without realizing it (Dwyer and Coward, 1991).

Some elderly parents can be very difficult to deal with, perhaps even controlling and manipulative, in a selfish attempt to dictate the lives and activities of family ...