Saturday, February 11, 2012

Am I It?

It is common that one adult child of a family assumes most of the responsibility for the care on the elders. Often, it’s the one who lives closest to the elder, but not always. Susan, a woman I interviewed for Minding Our Elders, lives 300 miles away from her mother, while she has two siblings ...
Anonymous
Mike
8/27/06 12:03am
Carol, It is sad that the responsibilities are more often than not unfairly distributed. Caregiving is a true test of character. It reminds me of the broader picture wherein general challenges (to a family, community, nation, etc) are faced by those few who take responsibility, often enduring the criticism of the majority. I think the only real consolation is that you know you do your best and that your efforts create good.
Anonymous
Carol Bradley Bursack
8/28/06 11:33am
That's a great analogy, Mike. And it is true - the mindset can transfer to all issues. Some people step up to the plate more readily than others. These days, many more men are doing so. I'll soon be blogging about a book written by an only son who took care of his mother (who had Alzheimer's). However, no matter how many siblings a person has, it is rare that the whole family participates equally. When I was interviewing caregivers for my book, Minding Our Elders, one of the common threads was siblings who won't or can't help out. I only have one story where there seemed to be a balance - out of 20 (plus my own six, but that is a different take on the matter). Thanks so much for writing.

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