If your parents became infirm and you had to either bring them into your home or put them in a nursing home, which would you do? What about any siblings of yours who were unable to care for themselves?

Sorry, mom… I gotta say nursing home. I hope that doesn’t sound cruel. And it isn’t like I’d be putting her in a nursing home so that I could forget about her. I’d visit…

Here’s the thing. I’m not exactly a natural born caregiver. If I had experience raising children, I might think differently for this question. But I’ve never changed the diaper of an infant. Not sure I’d know what to do if presented the opportunity. I’m certain I’d freak out if I had to deal with an elderly individual who needed a changing.

I hope that doesn’t make me sound heartless. Because, again, my thought behind this is that the staff at the nursing home would provide better care than I would be able to.

So we’re clear, I’d be sure to find a nursing home that I’d consider a decent place. I’ve been inside a lot of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the last few years and I’ve seen how bad some of them can be. It breaks my heart to see how forgotten and neglected some of those people have become. No… I’d do everything I could to make sure Mom could afford to be in one of the good places that would provide her with the care she would need and also give her opportunities to actually live life instead of just count down the hours until the inevitable end.

But what would you do in that situation? Would you take a parent or other loved one into your home and take on the role of 24/7 caregiver? Or would you, like me, opt for a decent nursing home or assisted living facility? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

*The Question of the Week can be found in The Book of Questions by Gregory Stock, Ph.D.