Caring for an Aging Parent: My Personal Account

For some odd reason, in my family, having multiple family members live with you is considered an unattractive lifestyle. While I have a large social network of friends, I find many American families welcome the opportunity to care for and interact with senior family members on a daily basis and even encourage caring for our aging parents and even move them into our homes. In my family, this growing American way of thought is also practiced, although there are several of my family members who are not fond of caring for an aging parent and really despise the concept of cohabitating with an elderly individual.

I was raised in a rather large family and was always told that living with my parents was not a feasible option as I became an adult. While moving out on my own, as a single adult with children was, at times, not financially feasible, it did it nonetheless and it created undue hardship in my life. If only I had parents I could turn to; parents who would welcome me back into their home to relieve some of my financial burden. In my mind, I had played out this scene, to some extent, even envisioning the bills I could eliminate while contributing to my parent's home as it were my own; all to no avail. Because my parents practice a strict guideline with all of their children, preaching that no one is permitted to live with them after they turn 18 and become an adult, my siblings and I have all struggled, to some extent, to make it in this world.

Here is the interesting point.

As my paternal grandmother has aged, she has required extended living arrangements which includes consistent nursing and home care. This same family, living under the concept of "no room mates" has now been "forced" into accepting my grandmother into their home. I say "forced" but what I mean is they feel "obligated" as the only other option would be to place my grandmother into a nursing home. Since my mother could not imagine living in a nursing home herself, she extended her home to her mother-in-law, my grandmother, and has now assumed the responsibility for her care as she ages.