Caregiving, especially helping to care for an aging parent who is ill and nearing the end of life, is arduous. One never stops asking questions about “doing the right thing.” Throughout this challenging time an aging child has lot of things to say, memories to review, and good-byes to be arranged for family members near and far.
When my husband and I helped to provide care for his mother who was terminally ill, the emotional ups and downs and the mental tumult rarely stopped. A few days ago I wrote about the questioning process one experiences after a death, but a similar questioning process occurs during the last months of a loved one’s life — when that person is very sick, uncomfortable, and gradually taking leave.
To read a thoughtful, honest, and loving post from a daughter living through these months right now, take a few minutes to read The Infectious Visit at the Alzheimer’s Speaks blog. Lori La Bey captures the feelings of an aging child on an emotional roller coaster. She examines the thoughts, the worries, the questions asked, and the challenges, all the while describing, depicting really, the great love that surrounds a family near the end of a long-lasting and terminal disease.
As Our Parents Age So Do We 