Respecting Your Limits When Caring for Aging Parents

Wise, practical, and compassionate advice on how to care for our aging parents without burning-out or ruining our own lives.PMore and more middle aged adults are caring for their sick or failing elderly parents while juggling the demands of their everyday lives. Feelings of guilt, anger and resentment can rise to the boiling point if we stretch ourselves too thin by taking care of our parents at the expense of our own needs.PThis thoughtful and practical book offers down-to-earth suggestions for working through the difficult issues inherent when caring for aging parents. With candor and compassion, the author shows how to recognize unrealistic expectations, accept the limitations of what we can do for our parents, and put first-things-first by keeping the primary focus on our family, children, and work. She stresses the need for assertive and honest communication and offers helpful strategies for maintaining appropriate boundaries with needy parents.PThe book also includes suggestions for handling such common problems as loyalty conflicts, encouraging reluctant siblings to share in the caretaking responsibilities, and dealing with the pain that accompanies a decision to place a parent in a nursing home. In addition, this exceptionally informative book is filled with inspirational personal stories of how others have struggled with caring for their aging parents.