More of us are now caring for our aging parents or an aging spouse, a responsibility that comes with rewards and risks.
The reward is that, when caring for a parent, it's often our best chance to really get to know them well, adult to adult. We can create new memories and find a connection we may never have found before.
It is also a meaningful act of service that connects us to a natural cycle of human life. Just as parents care for their children, so do children care for their parents as they age.
In more traditional cultures, aging parents are also important support as grandparents, helping parents wrestle with the demands of new children.
In terms of a spouse, caregiving can be a culmination of our love and connection, difficult though it may be.
But the risks caregivers face are also significant. As people live longer, and dementia and chronic disease become more common, the challenges of caregiving also increase. Add to that our increasingly busy lives and ever-shrinking social networks and many caregivers are left feeling alone and overwhelmed...
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