Elderly Care
Adult Children and Elderly Care
Comment by Sabina:
Adult Children and Elderly Care
What are some of the major problems caregivers face?
With advances in modern medicine our elderly populations are living much longer. Family members who care for their elderly parents encounter many different problems. Some of the biggest problems that caregivers face are the financial strains and emotional strains involved with caring for an elderly parent. Medical care is extremely expensive, even with the use of Medicare there is still out of pocket cost associated with medical care and prescriptions. Adult children who care for parents, who are disabled or chronically ill, could experience many different levels of stress and emotions. There is a high level of stress associated with caring for a parent with a chronic disease. Career goals may also suffer for the caregiver. Many caregivers have to change their job or even leave their job to take care of elderly parents.
Why do adults feel guilty when they have to relocate their aged parents?
Adult children are often faced with the task of making difficult decisions for their parents. Often decisions about the care of elderly parents are difficult and can be emotional for most individuals associated with the decision making. Children are often forced to make decisions about assisted living facilities, nursing homes or relocating their parents to live with them. These decisions can cause an enormous surge of guilt for the child or children making these decisions. One of the main reasons for the guilt is the psychological effect of seeing the deteriorated state of the elderly parent. The guilt is also associated with the role change associated with these decisions, the parent has now become the child and the child has now become the parent. These decisions can also be a reminder of the parents' mortality (ArgiLife, 2010).
Response One
There are many different degrees of caring for the elderly and it can depend on many different variables. The health and activeness of the elderly person is an important variable when determining the amount of care that is needed. The overall health of the elderly parent can influence the amount of care needed. Elderly people who are chronically ill or disabled require a significant amount of care. Individuals whose healths are deteriorating require a tremendous amount of help and care. These are the individuals who require help with the tasks of daily living. Elderly people who are more active may require little care, such as with their instrumental tasks. In my observation individuals who require help with the tasks of daily living are the ones who are nursing homes, or assisted living facilities. Family members feel guilty about relocating their parents to these facilities mainly because of the emotional process involved with making this type of a decision.
Response Two
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