“Caregiving is the art of living in the moment, the ability to improvise in a split second. Improvisation in caregiving is a skill that requires a spontaneous honest work of the heart. Enter stage right give it your best efforts until the final curtain call.” Barbra Miller
Parenting your aging mother or father is a delicate balancing act. It is ever changing. It requires tapping into your creative side in order to maintain trust and nurture your relationship. Forget winning arguments, you are not 16 and they are not your once younger parent trying to guide you to safe adulthood.
Their journey is filled with so many things to fear, they are afraid of losing their independence, becoming a burden on loved ones, being taken advantage of and relinquishing control over their lives.
Be patient with yourself. Caring for an older parent will both empty you and fill you up all at once. Everyone can’t do it, no judgement here, it is tougher than you can possibly imagine. Be flexible tap into the creative you it will help to relieve the stresses of which there will be many.
Best, Barbra
Life Less Young 