After going through what she has with her mom, my mother is pretty much just, "If it gets bad, hold a pillow over my face, please." Which is awful, but I get where she's coming from. She's an only child, my grandfather died almost twenty years ago, and caring for her mom, even not at home, has been really hard.

In circle-of-life news, my coworker's wife just brought their baby to visit. Yay baby!! Super cute and little.

This conversation has me googling retirement communities in New Orleans. This place looks pretty nice.

my coworker's wife just brought their baby to visit. Yay baby!! Super cute and little.

I think office morale would improve if there were weekly baby visits.

t edit And/or hookers and blow.

My mom is the first to tell anyone who will listen that it's a mistake to try to take care of people in declining health in the home. I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this again, Burrell. And so often it is the women who end up doing the caretaking and making the decisions for both their own parents and their husbands' parents. (This is not to cast aspersions on any of the Buffista men, several of whom I know have been involved in caretaking.)

My mom has also been clear that if she's not able to take care of herself, I'm to do whatever I can to speed her passing, as long as I'm in no danger of going to jail for it.

I would like to be struck by lightning while gardening at age 90, please.

I find myself terribly resentful, and then feel guilty for being resentful, because they're my parents and I should be willing to sacrifice for them.

Oh yeah! AND my mom gets to hear all about the issues with my MIL and now she won't even ask for help from my husband, and my brother is in England... it's just ugh! Thankfully my mom is in good health and has a long-term care plan in place.

Ohhh Jesse how fun! New babies are awesome

My grandparents started the trend and my parents are continuing it . WE are a sensible lot. My grandfather enjoyed his last years in the assisted living facility . My parents , while they have no need, will be going that way when thy do need it. I t was a hard decision for Matt's parents, but to keep their Independence , they chose a place

Yeah, at the root of this for me is that I, personally, have a huge fear of old age. Death, not so much. Old age, horrified.

I would like to complain about a much less fraught irritation.

Why the hell is everything videos these days? The only instruction for something I'm trying to do is on a damn video, which will take 4 minutes to watch and I might have to watch it again. It takes me seconds to read instructions.

It takes me seconds to read instructions.

ITA.

Not to mention the fact that streaming video is blocked at my workplace, anyway. Very annoying.

A friend of mine, who just got divorced and has little surviving family and no kids, is talking about something like senior co-housing, with independence but also a lot of community. I have to admit it sounds like it'd be a good way to go.