Old age and dispensability
When a older person ceases to be of use to you or is not able to carry on his/her bodily functions mainly, independently, he tends to become a burden. Whatever the relation with that person - parent or parent -in -law. For that matter even a spouse.
A resentment tends to build inside the caretaker. The caretaker is faced with a double pronged weapon - care giving as also grappling with the guilt that he is resenting it.
When one believes that 'It takes a village to raise a child', the same adage actually applies to care-giving towards a senior or for that matter - anyone.
The care giver's morale needs to be boosted by relieving him of his duties for some time atleast.
A care giver is as isolated from life as much as his immobile or mobility restricted patient. Being in close contact with a sick person, it tends to rub on the care giver as well. The daily grind of assisting his patient be it by way of keepinh him clean, managing medicines. managing aches and pains, being called upon to lsten to a array of real and imagined complaints. the constant demand for atttention., the physical
