Caring for Aging Parents

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Aging can be challenging for elderly parents and children alike. It is depressing for an aging parent to have to face their physical and mental downturn. On the other side of the fence, children of elderly people also have to take on the very challenging job of looking after their aged parents.

Read the article below on this real crisis on taking care of aging parents.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the effects of aging on a person, their children or family, caregivers, and workers and employers?
  2. How are old people’s lives like in your country?
  3. How are you preparing for and what are your plans for your twilight years?
  4. Talk about your experience caring for elderly members of your family. How was it like?
  5. Do you think you have enough family-friendly policies in your country? If yes, tell us about some of them. If not, what do you think are some policies needed?
4.50 avg. rating (89% score) - 2 votes

4 replies on “Caring for Aging Parents”

This article aims to evaluate the caring for Aging parents in the USA. Without a doubt, life expectancy has increased. Therefore, more and more people will need permanent care in the next years. Our society will need more caregivers and nurse homes for older people because not all families will be able to take care of them.
In my country, older people usually live with their children when they start to have issues to take care of themselves. The government gives subsidies to people with small pensions to help families with their care. Also, there are private nursing homes for rich people. On the other hand, there are nursing homes totally or partially supported by local authorities. It depends on their incomes.
Seldom do I have found time to think about preparing my retirement. However, I try to save money and also, I am thinking about applying for a pension plan or investing my saving in buying a house to rent it.
I don´t have any experience caring for older people yet. My parents can look after themselves so far. But, if they needed my caring in the future, I would try to give them the best twilight. In the same way, that they did with me when they raised me. They deserve it.

It’s indeed a good idea to live the fullest while you’re young but do not forget to also think about your future. Good job writing your answers.

But, if they needed my caring in the future, I would try to give them the best twilight. In the same way, that they did with me when they raised me.
> But if they
ever need caring from me in the future, I would try to give them the best care in their twilight years; the same way they did with me when they raised me.
Another way: But, if they ever need caring from me in the future, I would try to give them the best care in their twilight years; the same way they did when I needed caring for when I was a child.

Keep up the good job!

The life of children and family of elderly parents is hardly affected due to they have to take care of their parents and it implies to invest to much money and time.

In my country most of the erderly people last their final of their life in a nursing home. And, much of them are left there and forgotten by their family

I think I will be in a nursing home in my twilight years. I do not think my son is going to care of me.

My mother lived with my sister who took care of my her during her last three years. Some weeks before my mother died, my sister was exhaust, she couldn´t deal more that situation, because, each day, my mother was more dependent.

I think in my country there are good family-friendly policies, although, I think they are not enaugh. The Dependence Law has taken too long time to be effective and, a lot of people died wating for their aids. By other hand, cares in nursing home are not good due to govern does not invests enaugh money on them.

Excellent answers! It is sometimes sad to think how old people’s last moments are like if they do not receive proper care from their nursing homes or their families.

Please look at how you can improve this sentence:
The life of children and family of elderly parents is hardly affected due to they have to take care of their parents and it implies to invest to much money and time.
> The lives of children and family of elderly parents are greatly affected due to the fact that they have to take care of their parents and this implies the need to invest too much money and time.

Keep up the good job!

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