Aging parents often feel intense loss when confronted with the many changes that they experience during this stage of life. At the same time, they have expectations regarding the type of help they would like from their children.
Aging parents may experience feelings of despair, sadness and anger. For example, Anne is feeling intense loneliness due to the loss of her husband. Furthermore, her self-esteem and sense of independence may be threatened as she realizes that she now needs help with day-to-day activities such as shopping or getting to a doctor’s appointment. These feelings and experiences have overwhelmed Anne. At the same time, her family members may not understand why grandma or mom is behaving in such a different way. Being aware of many life changes that the elderly face, will help care-givers to understand changes in behaviour.
Another way to help in the caring process involves identifying the parents’ expectations of the care they would like from their children.