Caring For Aging Parents

As our parents age, we take care of them more and more.  I see this often in my patient population--either the side of the coin in which seniors are brought in for treatment by their grown children, or the other in which adult patients share their experiences as they are more and more responsible for their parents.  We have many in-depth discussions, and my personal experiences of having a father in his late 80's with progressive Alzheimer's disease still living at home with  my mother, or my father-in-law, aged 90, living with us, add to the discussion.

I remember well an L.A. Times article in which the author wrote about his aging and dependent parent--acknowledging that his father had a powerful need to maintain control over his life when the difficulties that came with age made it not possible.  He understood his father still nurtured the deep desire to see and appreciate that his life had meant something, that his legacy was consolidated. This phenomenon will become more frequent as the boomer generation ages.

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate,
American Board of Prosthodontics
(661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com
5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309