“Mom, did you eat your dinner yet?”
“Gloria, I know when to eat my dinner!”
Many times I take to heart my Mom’s defensive tone. I want her to see my questions as concern for her. She, on the other hand, seems to see it in a different way. I’m beginning to understand why. I am the child, not her.
How disrespectful it must feel that their “little Gloria” bosses them around. They see me as their baby whom they raised and can’t understand why I suddenly see them as incapable.
While we care for our parents, we need to preserve their need to be treated as full-fledged adults. No matter what decisions need to be made our parents need to be included in a genuine way. Although my mom complains, “Gloria, I’ve had this medication for a long time. What makes you think I can’t remember when to take it?” She sometimes does forget her medication. I want to think of a way to empower her by involving her in her own care. So for example, I ask her to help me fill the medicine trays.
Please share other ways you help your parents remain empowered to take care of themselves.
A-B-C's of Caregiving 