Thoughts on Caregiving for Older Parents or Relatives, Part 1: Those Stressful First Steps
…in getting the process started
In my recently published memoir, The Pianist’s Only Daughter, I describe life with my creative, accomplished parents, including much about their needs for eldercare in their later years. We faced many challenges as they reached late old age. The memoir is the story of our family’s experiences, and in it, I avoid offering much advice for other parental caregivers. However, as one who has been both a professional social worker and a caregiving daughter, I do have thoughts and suggestions about this phase of life for those who are, or may someday be, in the trenches helping their aging parents or other close loved ones in later life.
In this first installment, I focus on the early stages: the time when we’re figuring out that our older loved ones need some sort of help or change in their lifestyle to adapt to their health issues or age-related frailty — and getting them to accept that help.
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I am my mother’s only child…
so when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological movement disorder, I realized I might have to become her caregiver someday — or at least the manager of her care. Some years…
