Taking Care of our Aging Parents

My parents recently moved back here to Arizona. It is so nice having them close by as we spend a lot of time with my parents. Our boys absolutely love visiting with Grandma to go swimming or play mini golf at their retirement community recreation center. My parents are in their mid-50’s. My husband and I have talked several times about caring for either of our parents should the need occur in the future.

I recently read this article by CNN about caring for aging parents. It was really fascinating to read that an “estimated 65 million people in the U.S. are unpaid family caregivers. Seven in 10 of those caregivers take care of someone 50 years of age or older.” We tend to think of assisting our parents as something still likely 20 years down the road but it really could happen at any point.

My father-in-law has Multiple Sclerosis and really could be taken at any point without too much warning. He’s doing well in his everyday life but certainly has his up’s and down’s as well. My mother-in-law plans to sell her home when her husband does pass on and rotate living with her four children throughout the year. I think her plan is something that would really work well for everyone involved. My children have a really great relationship with Grandma and would love her to be near. It does mean that we, as a family, need to make the steps as we plan our future to have the space available for her to stay for an extended period of time throughout the year. At some point, our parents will get to the point that they will need a lot of care and assistance. It was great to find this really helpful resource guide from Genworth Financial that can give guidance on caregiving.

What plans have you made to care for your aging parents?

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Genworth Financial. Opinions and experiences above are my own. I will be compensated for my time and efforts on this post.