Caring for an Aging Parent

Have you cared for an aging parent? How did you handle it?  What did you do?  What got you through?

I realized last week that while Mom was in rehab for 6 weeks recovering from her broken leg, I was more at ease, less stressed.  People were keeping an eye on her sugar, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and more.  Her medical needs/complications were being monitored. She had three meals a day that she surprisingly liked. She could rest as much as you wanted, get involved in whatever she wanted, and could get out when I was there in the evenings and on weekends if she wanted. She went to therapy, talked to everyone, and we were comfortable with everyone there.

Since coming home, I have worried more, and my stress level has gone up.  She doesn't sleep well at night.  She has worked to make sure she isn't napping all day, but it doesn't seem to matter how active she is or how much she naps. When she moves any distance at all, she is out of breath, and it takes a little while for her breathing to return to normal. Each morning when I leave, I am relieved to hear her snoring or moaning.  I know she is alive.

I have a terrible fear that I am going to wake up one morning, and she will have passed away.  While it would be comforting to know she went in her sleep, it is still the thought.  I worry when I don't get a text or email from her during the day.

Taking care of an aging parent is not something people thing about until it happens.  My suggestion to all children out there . . . think about it before it happens.  Talk to your parents about what they want for long term care, what their desires are, and more. Figure out a plan if possible. Find a support system for yourself and your parent(s).