guilt
The plight of Parkinson’s
Written by Rebecca Lenton In honour of Parkinson’s Awareness Week 2013 we have a special story from the grandchild of Britain’s leading 20th-century naval historian whose death marked the loss of a great man who gave his all as a naval officer, father, grandfather and historian. Parkinson’s made him pay the price for his amazing […]
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Retirement living to look forward to
Sara McKee, Founder and Director of Evermore, shares her vision for the future of retirement living in the UK and talks about the importance of independence in later life. We all want the best for our parents. Whether that’s driven by a sense of familial responsibility or just sheer love, it’s something you feel deep […]
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Tips for caring from a distance
Helping parents who don’t live just round the corner is more complicated, but there are many things that we can do to ease their situation. Sally offers some tips gleaned from her experience of supporting a mother with physical needs and a father with mental challenges, both at the same time. It is possible to […]
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And Fred came too: the struggle to care for a grieving step-parent
This week’s storyteller is Barbara. When Barbara’s mother passed away, Barbara was left to care for her mother’s second husband who stayed on in the granny flat. Despite Barbara’s best efforts, it was hard to make the relationship work. My father died 33 years ago, and eventually Mummy met and married Fred, who was some […]
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My strategy for coping with grief
Grief is something no one is really prepared for. Maureen Meredith tells us how she coped with losing her mum and dad as well as her son in the space of 16 years. She talks about navigating stages of mourning and ways to bear the sadness. My mum was an angel on earth. Everyone flocked […]
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I am ham. Or jam
Written by Kathy Lawrence Today we’re having children later and seeing our parents live to a greater age. It’s bound to affect our lifestyles – perhaps more than we were expecting. One day you’re running around after your children, rushing to open evenings or sports and after school clubs, and playing taxi to a burgeoning […]
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How to cope when you’re a whistleblower
Dear Lesley, How do people cope if they’ve been the family whistle-blower, trying to report abuse of elderly parents by close relatives? 9 years ago I warned both the NHS and the local social services department that my parents were at risk of abuse. My letters and phone calls were ignored and my visits have […]
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How do I cope with caregiver guilt?
Hi Lesley, My wife is caring for her 78 year old mother who’s fairly physically disabled after suffering a stroke 12 years ago (slight weakness down right side) and spinal arthritis. Her mobility isn’t great. I try to do my share but recently I’ve been working away from home a lot. The stroke also damaged […]
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