How does the sandwiched generation juggle the responsibilities of caregiving for not one, but two aging invalids?

Here is the  account of a Kentucky family which is blending four generations in the same household.  It's encouraging to see how Jane Music cares for her husband who has Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's as well as her 93 year-old mother. Coming to her aid is the Music's grown daughter, her husband and two children. They gave up their work as missionaries so that they could move in and  share the caregiving burdens.

"When we married, I promised to take care of him in sickness and in health," Jane Music says, " And that's what I intent to do."

The arrangement seems to be working because everyone is helping. See how they are doing it.

Read A Mission At Home

Popularity: 4% [?]

• Will You Go Broke Caring for Aging Parents? Will You Go Broke Caring for Aging Parents? According to the New York times 30 per cent of adult children spend money on their parents. In these difficult times, that's money that could have been used for living expenses, college education, etc. What's the answer? I don't think there is......
• Can You Really Plan Ahead for Caregiving?  Can you really plan ahead for future care giving?Is it too late now if you are in the midst of care giving responsibilities?Brain Plachta, an eldercare  lawyer, advises to draw up a care giving contract so everyone will know in advance what to expect.Alicia Junghans, who cared for her own......
• What Are Your Toughest Caregiving Questions?   Aging Parents experts Frances and Robert Muskowitz answer some of your toughest care giving questions. For example, what happens when you experience a heart attack or illness while trying to fulfill your responsibilities to your parents and children? How do you take charge when your 95 year old......
• Finances and Your Aging Parents Image via Wikipedia Finances is a subject you may not want to discuss with your aging parents.  However, there are many issues you need to be thinking about before a crisis hits your family.  You need to know about your parents' bills and investments as well as helping them......
• Caring for Aging Parents Brings On Challenges Caring for aging parents has never been easy, but Holly and Rick Benson do double duty. They care for both their aging fathers in their home. Elder care is round the clock just like childcare.  When the Bensons left for a quick meal at a nearby restaurant, it was almost......

• Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas everyone! It is Christmas morning and Kameron just got up to see what Santa left in the stockings hung by the chimney with care. The cookies were eater except for a few crumbs, the milk is gone but for a small amount in the bottom of the glass......
• Feeding the Missionaries Image from LDS.org I have watched as many are curious what they should feed the missionaries when they come to your home for dinner. From what I have always been told, you feed them what you would normally fix, bearing in mind that if you are able, it would......
• Life Expectancy and Retirement Planning Baby boomers seem to become more reflective and aware of age, aging and the concept of  "how much longer do I have."   We've done a lot but we want to do a lot more.  We're just worried about how much time we will have to get it all done. Longevity and......
• Review: Turnabout by Margaret Peterson Haddix by Second Mate Embry, guest reviewer Title: Turnabout Author Margaret Peterson Haddix Page Count: 223 Format: Hardcover Grade Reading Level: Ages 12+ Summary: Amelia Hazelwood, Annabeth Flick, and 40 or more others from Riverside nursing home are selected at the old age of 100 to live forever. In a......
• How and Why I Bought Long Term Care Insurance Mrs. GoTo and I recently bought long-term care policies for ourselves.  I actually did it through my employer although the policies are such that we can take them with us. This post discusses the analysis and logic we considered in making this purchase. Long-Term Care Insurance is for All Boomers......