When elders won’t listen, caregivers must make hard choices

  • By Michelle Singletary
  • Friday, June 20, 2014 1:13pm
  • Business

She just wouldn’t move.

My sisters and I had a meeting with our mother to talk about her living situation. It was hard to care for her when she lived in another state.

After two strokes, she had trouble walking. She needed help with meal preparation and bathing. She got some assistance from friends, but it was a struggle.

We were so relieved when our mother, 74, agreed to move in with my older sister, who had purchased a split-level home, in part to accommodate the possibility of our mother living there. We were making plans to hire a long-term care aide.

So we set a timeframe for her to move. But the time came and went, and still she refused to leave her home.

We pleaded. We fussed. We discussed what could happen under various scenarios if her health declined further. There were a lot of “what ifs,” one of which was: “What if there is a fire? How would you get out?”

“I’ll be all right,” she tried to reassure us.

When we pushed too hard, my mother would shut down.

And then our worst fear happened. An early-morning fire broke out in her home. She sustained third- and fourth-degree burns over a third of her body.

My mother held on for more than two months, surviving multiple skin-graft surgeries. She was cared for by an amazing team of medical professionals at the Nathan Speare Regional Burn Treatment Center at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Pennsylvania. We had discussed where to move her for rehabilitation after her hospital stay.

Then on Memorial Day, my mother died.

There are times when the guilt becomes so heavy. Should we have pushed even harder? What could I have done differently to get her to recognize that she needed more help and could no longer live on her own?

But my mother was strong-willed, competent and in her right mind, so we couldn’t force her to relocate. And honestly, since she and I hadn’t been very close, I was afraid of losing her again if I pushed too hard. It was her mother, Big Mama, who had raised me. But over the last few years, my mother and I had reconnected. She was a different person to me after the strokes. Gentler. Repentant. We were in a good place. I wanted her to let me help her. I wanted her closer.

Like many seniors, my mother stubbornly clung to her independence even though it put her in harm’s way. Nearly 90 percent of people over 65 want to stay in their home as long as possible, according to AARP.

Ideally, it is better and can be more cost-effective for people to age in place as long as they are physically able. Yet there may come a time when they can’t stay.

As a caregiver, it’s scary when you get calls about falls, or a pot left burning on the stove, or a home that was once pristine but now is grimy and dirty.

I’ve spoken to a lot of caregivers who are frustrated, some angry, others worried and exhausted from trying to assist an aging parent — sometimes both parents — from afar. Even for caregivers living in the same area, it can be overwhelming running back and forth. Even when there’s money to hire an aide, some people’s parents stubbornly refuse assistance.

I was speaking recently to a group of seniors, and I asked them to actively plan for the possibility that they won’t be able to stay in their homes. Don’t be stubborn, I told them. Think about the toll on the caregiver — and your relationship — when you refuse to move or won’t let anyone come in to help.

For caregivers, I can’t tell you any more than this: Keep advocating and pushing for your parents to move if it’s necessary. You can easily find tips from AARP, caregiving.org and other elder-care resources and experts on how to talk to an aging parent about transitioning into another living situation.

One of my favorite songs is “Stand” by gospel artist Donnie McClurkin. “What do you do when you’ve done all you can and it seems like it’s never enough?” he sings.

If you’re a caregiver, don’t bow. Don’t give up even when there’s nothing else you can do.

After you’ve done all you can, you just stand.

(c) 2014, Washington Post Writers Group

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Business

Izaac Escalante-Alvarez unpacks a new milling machine at the new Boeing machinists union’s apprentice training center on Friday, June 6, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Boeing Machinists union training center opens in Everett

The new center aims to give workers an inside track at Boeing jobs.

Some SnoCo stores see shortages after cyberattack on grocery supplier

Some stores, such as Whole Foods and US Foods CHEF’STORE, informed customers that some items may be temporarily unavailable.

People take photos and videos as the first Frontier Arlines flight arrives at Paine Field Airport under a water cannon salute on Monday, June 2, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Water cannons salute Frontier on its first day at Paine Field

Frontier Airlines joins Alaska Airlines in offering service Snohomish County passengers.

Amit B. Singh, president of Edmonds Community College. 201008
Edmonds College and schools continue diversity programs

Educational diversity programs are alive and well in Snohomish County.

A standard jet fuel, left, burns with extensive smoke output while a 50 percent SAF drop-in jet fuel, right, puts off less smoke during a demonstration of the difference in fuel emissions on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sustainable aviation fuel center gets funding boost

A planned research and development center focused on sustainable aviation… Continue reading

Helion's 6th fusion prototype, Trenta, on display on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Helion celebrates smoother path to fusion energy site approval

Helion CEO applauds legislation signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson expected to streamline site selection process.

FILE — Jet fuselages at Boeing’s fabrication site in Everett, Wash., Sept. 28, 2022. Some recently manufactured Boeing and Airbus jets have components made from titanium that was sold using fake documentation verifying the material’s authenticity, according to a supplier for the plane makers. (Jovelle Tamayo/The New York Times)
Boeing adding new space in Everett despite worker reduction

Boeing is expanding the amount of space it occupies in… Continue reading

Water drips from an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 after it received a water salute while becoming the first scheduled 737 arrival Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, at Paine Field Airport in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Boeing and Airbus forecast strong demand for their jets

Boeing and Airbus project more than 40,000 new jets are needed.

Hundreds wait in line to order after the grand opening of Dick’s Drive-In’s new location in Everett on Thursday, June 12, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Dick’s Drive-In throws a party for opening day in Everett

More than 150 people showed up to celebrate the grand opening for the newest Dick’s in Snohomish County.

Patrick Russell, left, Jill Russell and their son Jackson Russell of Lake Stevens enjoy Dick’s burgers on their way home from Seattle on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023 in Edmonds, Washington. The family said the announcement of the Dick’s location in Everett “is amazing” and they will be stopping by whenever it opens in 2025. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Dick’s Drive-In announces details for Thursday’s grand opening in Everett

Dick’s will celebrate its second Snohomish County location with four days of festivities.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.