Parenting the parents
The longer life expectancy has had several profound effects on family relationships. On the one hand, children have had to take on the responsibility of meeting the emotional and daily operational needs of their aging parents as they navigate through intensely active stages of their lives. On the other hand, In countless situations, those parents who reach older ages, victims of a broken pension system, cannot support themselves financially and it is their children who, also in this area, must provide them with assistance. .
Despite incredible advances in medicine, aging is a challenge for the body and mind. Nurturing dreams and projects that help maintain enthusiasm and vitality isn't easy when abilities are gradually diminished. It's said that the secret to success lies in narrowing the gap between chronological and biological age so that a state of well-being continues over the years. Many countries promote interaction between older people and younger people for this purpose. , for example, in residences that offer enriching coexistence.
For the children, Accompanying greater longevity is not easy and will demand the best efforts and the most dedicated love. Realizing that those who raised us with such affection and dedication cannot adequately take care of themselves today is a difficult and painful experience. Not everyone is prepared to solve the new equation with the lowest possible costs. Accepting the new limitations is complicated for those who suffer them, but also for those who, upon registering them, see that time passes inexorably and that Mom or Dad are no longer Superman or Wonder Woman. The change in roles is a point of no return that inevitably generates tension because the process doesn't happen overnight.
It's often said that there are no schools for parents. Nor are there any schools for children to learn how to navigate these new situations more easily. Although not all of us are parents, we are definitely all children. And birth rate trends predict that fewer children will have to care for more elderly adults in the future.
Dozens of medical appointments will fill the schedules, with treatments ranging from generalized osteoarthritis to cognitive impairment, including hearing aids for deafness and incontinence pads. And, often, the inability of older adults to care for themselves leads to costly care, if not hospitalization, capable of destabilizing not only peace but also household finances. However, it is always wise to embrace respect for the dignity of those we love as a signpost for new paths.
Sooner rather than later, it will be the children who will have to decide what the final stretch of their parents' lives should be like, considering a host of factors that, often, are hardly optional. Properly managing this new stage of family love will also require a good dose of humor, as well as dedication and intelligence. Recognizing in these aging parents the projection of our own future can be an occasion for anger or empathy. Certainly, it never leads to indifference.
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