352: Managing the Mental Overwhelm of Caring for an Aging Parent with Linda Larson

Caring for an aging parent: so many of my friends are in this stage right now! If you’re also in this season, you understand how emotionally overwhelming it can be to care for an elderly parent. What do we do with the guilt, the grief and the new boundaries we must set as we try to offer support on so many levels, often while also pursuing career and personal goals (and for many of us, still raising kids)? In this episode, I sit down with hospice nurse and author Linda Larson to talk honestly about the emotional tension and the faith-stretching that comes with caring for aging parents. Linda offers not only biblical encouragement but also extremely practical advice for walking through this season well.  WHAT YOU’LL LEARN [00:00] Why Midlife Caregiving Feels So Emotionally Complicated [05:00] What Emotions Are Normal When Caring for Aging Parents? [09:00] Why Role Reversal Creates Grief for Both of You [16:00] What If Your Relationship With Your Parent Wasn’t Healthy? [21:00] How Do You Help Without Trying to “Fix” Aging? [26:00] Why You Can’t Do Caregiving Alone [32:00] What If You Feel Resentful, Exhausted, or Spiritually Ashamed? [37:00] Where Can You Find Faith-Based and Practical Support? Connect with Linda Larson via email at [email protected], or check out her book Walk Me Home: A Companion for the Caregiving Journey on Amazon.  JOIN ME IN MARCH/APRIL FOR A 6-WEEK STUDY ON STRESS LESS: If you’re exhausted from carrying situations that won’t change and feel stuck in stress loops you can’t seem to escape, join us for our next 6-week journey inside the Emotional Confidence Club: “Stress Less: A 6-Week Journey to Release Control + Make Peace with What Isn’t Changing.” Let’s learn how to process the emotions underneath control, release what isn’t yours to carry, and experience peace, even when circumstances stay the same. Go to AliciaMichelle.com/club to join the March/April study. RELATED EPISODES: Ep 350 — Why Is It So Hard to Surrender and “Let Them”? Ep 349 — How Can We Stress Less + Find Peace When Nothing Is Changing? Ep 342 — Help for Emotional Overreaction in Relationships Send us Fan Mail