By Trisha Narayan Should we lie to our parents to save them distress when one of them dies? Please don’t do so. Here are two heartbreaking stories that I witnessed. The first is about my neighbours who had been married for over 50 years. During this period, they must have had their moments of joy…
We tend to get quite busy in the humdrum of everyday living, tending to unintentionally forget that our parents are getting old and they need more time and care from us. We have to deal with our worries, without forgetting that it is our responsibility to take care of our elderly parents. In fact, it…
By Sunil Saxena Conversations about your parents getting older can be a bit tricky, especially when you realise that they are getting into the twilight zone and can’t take care of themselves. It’s not always the easiest topic to broach, even though you know it’s something you can’t escape. No matter how accustomed you are…
By Jairaj Harshil It was during the Covid period that I noticed changes in my mother after I moved in with my parents following the nationwide lockdown. My mother was now retired after holding a well-paying job in Bengaluru as a research analyst. She had a successful corporate career. We were happy that she was…
By Devika Khandelwal In Delhi’s bustling streets, a heartfelt narrative unfolds—a story of longing, distance, and the yearning for connection that stretches across miles. In our globalized world, families are often spread far apart, but few separations pull at the heartstrings quite like the one between elderly parents and their children. As the younger generation…
By Aparna Srinivas The old woman, Meena, ninety years old, was sprightly and alert. She came from a well-to-do family and had nurtured the wealth well. She did not have to wonder about her wants. After Covid she had slowed down. She was restricted to her bed, needing nursing care. She lived with her daughter,…
By Sunil Saxena The hardest part of losing a loved one is to accept that this was the best for them. Really? You take a sigh of relief that they are gone. Their suffering has ended. The tears don’t come so readily. The grief is transient. You stop missing your loved ones within hours of…
By Prisha K I have been tending to my Uncle for almost three years now. He moved in when my aunt died. Initially, he was sweet and accommodating though he had mood swings. But these were short-lived. Gradually, his behaviour started changing. The mood swings became more pronounced. Obduracy crept in, and at times he…
By Sunil Saxena Are you feeling tired, anxious, irritable or even depressed? Especially when you are taking care of a loved elder who is suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s or a terminal illness. If yes, then you are heading for what is known as a caregiver burnout. You may not realise it, but the stress has…