Children of aging parents sometimes find themselves in a role reversal with their parents. As their mothers or fathers become more frail, the adult children find themselves in the new role of parenting their parents. As the adult child is forced to take on more responsibility for his or her parents and parent their own children at the same time, stress mounts and can become overwhelming.

But this doesn't happen overnight. It's a gradual process. The adult children are often busy with their own careers and activities of daily life and don't notice the early signs that their parent is declining, either physically or mentally. Since the first changes are often subtle, a crisis may occur before the family is forced to accept that a change with their mom or dad is upon them. Such crises include leaving a pot to burn on the stove, falling and breaking a bone or experiencing hygiene problems in an older adult who has always been immaculately dressed and groomed.

When a crisis does occur, the entire family structure has to shift to accommodate the older adult's new and growing needs. In addition, the family around the aging parents must decide who is going to fill in the gaps and how.

As a member of the sandwich generation, it's important to know that there are people and resources available to help. You don't have to go through this alone.

For more information about community resources, call the Menorah Park Social Work Department at 216.839.6633 or 216.839.6648, or email us by clicking here.