I often hear about challenges faced by the “middle generation” in trying to balance the needs of their children and helping their aging parents. My name is Katherine Silver. I am a Pastor’s Wife, Mother, Nurse (maternal child health, senior services, geriatric mental health and recently, hospice), retired Midwife. In 2015, I earned a graduate degree in Aging Services and Management from the Davis School of Gerontology at USC (Fight On!) Over the years, I have grown concerned with the plight of the family and the care of the aging adult, and believe our strongest asset is the co-generational family for the mutual benefit of all.
I know the troubling and sometimes difficult journey of trying to balance the needs of different generations. As a “late life baby” I felt responsible for both pre- and teen-aged children and a fiercely independent, 80 year old mother. School routines were disrupted with doctor visits and ER trips, adolescent angst alternated with “gerolescent” Elder behavior. Better planning and thinking about the “unexpected” would have eased our “one crisis to the next” experience. I offer you the knowledge I gained through those years with the hope that your road will not be as bumpy and you may avoid some of the dangerous places.
Thank you for visiting my site. I hope that you find reassurance and inspiration, and maybe a pearl of wisdom for your own journey with your aging family.
Many blessings,
Katherine Silver, RN, BSN, CCM, MASM
Eldercare Advocate