Caring for Aging Parents

As their parents live longer and more active lives, many members of the Duluth community are becoming part of the “sandwich generation” – those who are caring for their aging parents while still raising their own children.

A recent USA TODAY/ABC News/Gallup Poll found that more than 40 percent of baby boomers who have a living parent are providing them with either financial care, personal care or both. Of the remaining baby boomers, 37 percent expect to care for an aging parent in the future. This situation is also described by the Pew Research Center, which found that at least 1 in 8 Americans between the ages of 40 to 60 are both raising a child and caring for a parent.

Providing care for aging parents and juggling other responsibilities can often become overwhelming, leading to what has been called caregiver burnout. Tensions may start to escalate with spouses and siblings over what do to or even their lack of involvement, and caregivers’ own emotional health can start to deteriorate as they stress out over decisions about the best care options. 

It’s not uncommon for family caregivers to experience guilt over the decision to evaluate care options other than in-home care for a loved one. However, when the needs of the loved one exceed the quality of care that can be provided at home, it may be time to consider a senior living community.

To know when it’s time to consider professional care, caregivers should watch for these warning signs in their parents:

• Losing track of or forgetting to take medications
• Declining interest in personal hygiene
• Loneliness or depression
• Memory loss
• Losing interest in social activities
• Eating poorly
• Difficulty with balance and coordination

For seniors who are exhibiting these symptoms, an assisted living facility can often provide a good alternative that can be customized to their needs. In an assisted living community, seniors can receive help with daily activities, such as preparing meals, bathing and medication management; but they are still able to maintain a level of independence, privacy and an active social life, surrounded by peers who have gone through a similar lifestyle transition.

In addition to care options, these communities often offer a number of amenities and senior friendly activities, including chef-prepared meals, transportation to doctors’ appointments, beauty salons, barber shops, spacious lounges, libraries and cafés.

When making decisions about the care of loved ones, it’s important to consider their physical and mental health as a top priority. While the decisions may be difficult, high quality care that is provided in a warm, home-like environment can provide seniors with an improved quality of life. And that’s often enough to give their caregivers peace of mind as well.

Susan Tidwell is executive director of Plantation South Duluth (www.plantationsouth-duluth.com), an assisted living residential community in Duluth. She can be reached at 770-623-0617 or ED.DUL@smacommunity.net. Plantation South Duluth is managed by Senior Management Advisors (SMA), a leading operator of full service independent living, assisted living and Alzheimer’s care residential communities in Florida and Georgia.