What Do You Do When Aging Parents Need More Care Than You Can Give?

My mother passed away a year ago this month. She had lived independantly since my father died in 1975. In the last year of her life it became apparent that she needed more physical and medical daily assistance than my sister or I could offer. I live in Cupertino. Mom lived in Seattle. My sister lived in a nearby town but had here family and job to deal with, and she had no medical background.

For 30+ years Mom lived in a third floor apartment in a building with no elevator. Now in her late 80s, and becoming more and more frail, she couldn't stay there. We knew Mom would need to find a new place to live but had no idea how to go about it. It's a topic we never thought about until the need slapped us in the face.

I suspect most families are this way. But there is a solution. I am fortunate enough to have a friend in the business of helping families deal with the issues of make the transition to assisted living. The funny thing is, I had Barbara on my show BEFORE we found out Mom was sick. That was a blessing.

That Reference Point interview is online. It's something everyone should watch because someday you will face the same situation. You can see that 30 minute interview by clicking here.