Tag Archives: elderly parents

The Caregiving Cliff

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

The Washington Post recently had a series entitled “Caregiving: A Special Report,” exploring the many facets of caregiving in America. Some articles focus on individual stories of caregiving, while others have more to do more with the scope of the … Continue reading →

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The Death of a Parent, Part 2

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

In a recent post I described an article by novelist Mark Slouka on the effect that his father’s death had on him. I provided a few quotes from the article, each followed by my reflections. Here are some more quotes, … Continue reading →

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Interview: Caring for an Elderly Parent

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

As discussed in a previous post, in 2012 39% of adults in the U.S. served as a caregiver for an elderly family member. The numbers of caregivers are expected to increase as the population ages. I sat down recently to … Continue reading →

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Hi, I’m Bob and I’m Redeployed

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

Recently, as part of a series of posts about leisure and retirement, I relayed that today’s older adults are less likely than those in the previous generation or two to quit working entirely, and those who do quit working or switch to … Continue reading →

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Meeting Our Parents, Again

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

Jan Wilberg, blogging at Red’s Wrap, wrote a beautiful post recently in which she imagines traveling back in time and meeting her parents before they became her parents. She then performs a sort of time travel by reflecting on a … Continue reading →

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Social Media Might Reduce Discomfort with Death

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

NPR host Scott Simon recently attracted considerable attention when he turned what many consider a private event into a public one.  As he sat with his mother while she was dying, Simon tweeted about her last days to his 1.3 … Continue reading →

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When Caregiver Guilt is Excessive

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

In an earlier post I wrote about guilt felt by caregivers.  I noted that feelings of guilt are appropriate when they result from having done harm or failing to meet one’s responsibilities.  In many cases, though, feelings of guilt aren’t connected to an … Continue reading →

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Looking Ahead

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

Middle age tends to be a time of focusing not only on oneself and, if married, one’s mate, but also attending to maturing children and aging parents. Those generations—one on ahead, the other trailing—not only are sources of concern and … Continue reading →

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