Mediate Michigan

There comes a time when adult children must be a parent to their parents

My mother, who was just 73 at the time, was pretty much self-sufficient for about a decade after that. She still played tennis, drove her car, and got together with friends and neighbors, including fellow retirees from her years as a kindergarten teacher who met monthly for lunch. After a few years, Mom had a new romantic partner as well.

Then, about four years ago, my sister and I got “the call.” It was the call to which many baby boomers who have an aging parent can relate. Who makes the call can vary. It can come in many forms — a phone call, a letter, an e-mail, or even someone making a comment. It is that defining moment, that “wake up call” if you will, the one where you can no longer deny that your parent needs help.

via Role Reversal for Boomers: Caring For Your Aging Parents.