Aging Parents

Prior to caring for one of our aging parents full time we personally watched her struggle with trash days, eventually causing her to give up and start leaving her trash in her home until we could get there to help. On days when we were unable to make it over, the trash often piled up, prompting us to intervene on a more permanent basis. This was a process that took time, as giving up control for our parent and recognizing the need for help took time. We were fortunate she eventually agreed to let us care for her, however, prior to that, trash days became a source of stress for both her and us.

Personal Struggle

As a family, we faced a tough time that involved daily hospital visits/overnight hospital stays with an aging parent, all while helping our adult child navigate some personal struggles and caring for our school aged children. If that wasn’t enough we also helped care for our grandchildren. We were often not home or too exhausted to consistently take our trash bins out or pull our trash bins back in. This either led to trash overflow or HOA fines at a time when we were already dealing with lost work hours and pay due to our family’s needs, and the added HOA fines often created an additional burden.

Disability

Growing up I was lucky to have spent a lot of time arount my grandparent. My siblings and I were often with them helping them out around the house with daily chores that needed to be done. This was partially the result of a serious car accident that had left my grandfather paralyzed and wheelchair bound since his early 40’s. As an adult I’ve often reflected on how different things could have been for my grandparents if no one had been available to help with basic chores, and how hard it must be for handicapped individuals struggling to get help with basic chores, such as taking out the trash.