Eldercare, something I spent a LOT of time on in the last 13 years as an only child & the subject no one wants to talk about. Until it hits them. So many friends reaching out to me now b/c they saw what I went thru, and they're only now realizing how hard it is. 🎁 shorturl.at/npCyS 1/
It's curiously an area where people lack imaginative empathy. Many friends would lchange the subject on me if I spoke of it. None of the kind of knowing empathy of caring for children. It was maddening and demoralizing. At least a few friends didn't completely blow me off. I'm grateful for them. 2/2
It is. And if you have to do some of these tasks earlier than anticipated (sick parents in their early 70s) there’s even less empathy. People don’t realize how tricky this is to navigate
Also, somehow most of my peers’ parents are better off/have more resources. I’m an only child, father’s dead, and mom has nothing but a very paltry social security. That does not buy assisted living near me.
Even with resources, elder care is hard. I’ve been a companion for a dementia patient. Family had ample resources for high end care facilities. Even with that, it took an extra body (me) to stay on top of things and push care levels up.
I hear that. Even once we get her housed close to us it’s going to be… challenging for me. It takes constant reminders and reinforcement to be detached enough to see her needs clearly.
