I am an only child, with no children, a wonderful husband who I am trying to protect from all of my mother's drama. I have a 88 year old mom who is physically healthy. She has always been independent, and when my dad died 15 years ago, she accepted and moved on. I had only been married a month, and it was no problem at old. Fast forward 15 years later, she had a little health blip about a year and a half ago, and it has been an emotional roller coaster for me daily. I love her, and I visit her in her own home every other day. I call her or she calls me alot during the day. I try to hide those phone calls from my husband. I am alway taking out the trash or going down stairs to do something to speak with her briefly. I feel sorry for her because she is sooooooo extremely lonely. She has outlived her friends and her family only cares about themselves. I guess I have an emotional outburst every time I see her. She has no emotion at all. I have tears streaming or having outbursts, and it doesn't effect her. She can't try or even get mad. All she says to me all the time is that she would be so much better if she moved in with my husband and I. I tell her daily that that will never happen. She keeps saying it. I have told her and told her. I have hung up the phone, I have thrown a fit, and it doesn't phase her. I tell her I will not give up my marriage for her. I love her but she doesn't love me enough to stop saying it.
I told her I would talk to my husband and visit her daily to help. I told her I could retire. I told her I could hire a companion. No to it all except moving in with us. There is something with she and I that I can't figure out. I tell her that. I pretty much tell her everything I feel. I told her that one good thing going through this is to maybe work out what our deep down problem is before one of us die. We love each other, but not until she has started behaving like this, did we ever hug or tell each other we love each other. I, like you, am emotionally drained. I pray for her, I pray with her daily. Nothing ever changes.
When she visits our house for dinner, about once a month, my husband thinks all of this may be my imagination cause she seems okay. Not quite as spunky as she use to be. I tell him, believe me, you have no idea. I just keep it to myself, because he went through some things with his mom, and I just want to protect him from this problem. She is physically healthy other wise. We worries about everything. She has financial resources, but she has regrets not spending her money on things. She spent it on me and my dad, but really her. Now she is looking back and hates everything. She hates her house, trees, leaves, bills, being alone, not having any friends. Sometimes, I think me. I tell her that too. She is miserable, and she was never like that. She has always been hard on me, so what I do for her, she doesn't like. I try so hard to please her. I guess I always have. I tell her that too. I tell her things through our lives together that hurt me. When I was born, she had Post Partum depression, and I think it is back. I have told her doctor, and she just says that it is a difficult situation. She is in her right mind (no dementia or anything; she actually helps me remember stuff and she does her own checkbook in her head. I check behind her) The doctor said that we can't make her take meds to help. When she gets upset about money or things, she starts chattering. Anyway, I just need to just get this out for someone to read this and know I am not all alone. Being an only child with a sick parent is hard. I thought losing my dad from Cancer was tough, but this is so much worse. Thanks for reading. see less
My hubby is 54 and has an 88 yr old mother. He is an only child. His dad took off early on and started another family. His relatives are pretty much done with his mother due to her nasty demeanor. She is very insulting and has no remorse. She to this day doesnt really get why there is no contact with them and believes when she insults people they should get over it.
She was horrible to my son in childhood and into adulthood. name calling, criticism. He and I discuss the motivations behind her behaviors. She is very narcissistic and borderline. She is trying her best to turn a relative of mine against me. Anyway, she has been playing the need to move in game with us. She is 88, independent and has always been, and strategically lives in a condo where she can walk to everything. It would ruin our relationship to have her move in with us. She claims she would be happy if she did but she has rarely been happy and is a huge fan of misery. I myself am going to invest in a book someone mentioned earlier about boundaries. We also work very challenging jobs and need the peace and comfort of our home. Anyway, I didnt mean to go off on a tangent. You are not alone. You and the replies you received make me feel better. God Bless!
As for being an only child that may truly be a blessing. There are many of us here that are caregivers with siblings who couldn’t care less. So they have two battles to deal with. Not only stress from parents but also from siblings not stepping up.
When my father lived on his own I called once a week and took him shopping once every other week. Any more contact would have killed me.
edit..thank you for sharing your situation with all of us. I sure hope it helps the ones who need it most.
Good luck, it's tough.
40%of caregivers Die before the person they are taking care of does. Elderly people do Not care about this...they want Their needs taken care of and no worries who it hurts or what it ruins in its wake. I try to share the cold hard truth about what caregiving is Really like. Spend 15 minutes googling caregiver burn out and you will see what your future holds. From what you've disceibed here she fits the mold of totally destroying your life and marriage. There are lots of nice nursing homes she would be around people her own age and she can choose to be miserable there just like she is choosing to be now in her own home and she Will be in yours. You Cant make her happy ~ she has to choose to be happy Herself.
If you have the money to hire 24/7 care that will be a companion for her then maybe that could be a next step In Her Home Not Yours. But even then she will behave as I have discribed above and she Will burn out caregivers and it Will be a lot of work for you to manage that as well and she will Still want you there just as much. So the time has come to be the adult/parent to her and be firm and make decisons for her best interest that keeps You Out of direct care for her. She pays for her own care or you if you want and can afford but don't attwmpt to become her caregiver or turn your home into Her private care home because you and your husband will have No life. That is a Fact.
You are also right that letting Mom move in would not fix her base problems. If she is lonely she can and should find people at a senior center with whom she can talk and exchange memories. The ultimate end to many complaints is "you would find others to talk to at a senior residence." The real issue is that sons and daughters do have lives of their own to live, whether Mom likes it or not.