Why I Started This Blog About Coping with Elderly Parents

I am an only child. I never thought very much about my parents not being able to take care of themselves any more. They have always been very independent and have lived their home for 52 years. They both have always been very opinionated. After my mother retired, she kept the roads "hot," or so my dad always said. She loved to shop, grocery shop, clip coupons, senior citizens, and the local neighborhood association. She took an active part in her neighborhood association and senior citizens group. The association had a monthly breakfast and my mother was the homemade biscuit maker. I'm sad to say that they no longer have the breakfast. It appears my mother was the glue that held this group together. She was the treasurer of both groups. She gave that position up before she ever got really bad with dementia. I've been taking both my parents to their doctor appointments for the last 5 or more years. As my blogging continues, I will go into more detail about my feelings and how I have learned to cope with this situation. My parents are in asssisted living--my dad in the independent part and my mother needs a lot of assistance with bathing, putting her clothes on, etc. I hope to help someone else with what I am going through.