Aging parents

[CrimsonFox]

*sigh*

Anyone here (and I'm sure there are lots) had to deal with extremely aging parents. Spent a couple weeks with mine.

My dad is okay health but had to get a pacemaker put in in January. Now his mind is really going. He is forgetting things. Very argumentative. Won't go to the doctor at all. Sometimes confused and very angry. Just hard...very hard to see this... Very hard to deal with it...

[21C]

Yep, been there. Very frustrating with my mother when she was still living at home and I was the only child who lived close by. She is now in a nursing home and is very well looked after.

Do you have any brothers or sisters? The hardest part is having to deal with it on your own.

[21C]

Here's my earlier post on dealing with it.
Getting Old Really, Really Sucks - Front Office Football Central (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=41171)

[tyketime]

Hey Crimson - both of my parents are in their 80's. My Mom's health has significantly gone down hill in past few years. My Dad is in great shape, but you can see the wear and tear on him having to take care of my Mom all the time. None of my siblings nor I live within 300 miles from them. They have absolutely NO intention whatsoever to consider any type of assisted living facility. It's just not done for their generation. Dad would consider it a complete and utter failure on his part, so not even an option.

My Mom just fell out of bed last week and had to go to the hospital for 15 stitches to her forehead. She hit nothing on the fall - just the floor. On a number of occasions, my Mom has not been able to get herself out of the bathtub. And so a handful of times, my Dad has had to call 911 for assistance.

It is both frustrating and sad to see their decline and my inability to help them. And for me, their refusal to acknowledge and/or ask for help.

[Dutch]

My last remaining grandparent is almost 100 and lives alone...won't do assisted living. She did finally allow a live-in nurse though...she's a pretty tough lady...so long as she stays head-strong, I just don't see this arrangement changing.