PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - M. J. Yaffe
TI  - Implications of caring for an aging parent
DP  - 1988 Feb 01
TA  - Canadian Medical Association Journal
PG  - 231--235
VI  - 138
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/138/3/231.short
4100  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/138/3/231.full
SO  - CMAJ1988 Feb 01; 138
AB  - The burden of care for the aged often falls on their adult children, who are themselves stressed by the developmental tasks of middle age. These people are frequently unprepared for the role of caregiver, in which they become parents to their own parents. The author describes the potentially turbulent effect of this role and discusses the origin of the stresses that the caregiver may experience. Doctors need to recognize and deal with the negative feelings, such as resentment, anger, frustration, ambivalence, guilt and demoralization, that may arise in adult children who care for their parents. These emotions must be put into proper context if the mental and physical health of the caregivers as well as the vital support they provide for their elderly parents are to be maintained.