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Elderly parents

But you’re my carer!

213 replies

Dormit · 17/08/2025 17:47

How do you respond to this? I’m just back off holiday and my mum has asked me to go up (a 30 min walk uphill-I don’t drive) to make her a cup of tea because she’s upset and a bit shakey. When I said no, I got the but you’re my carer retort as though that means drop everything and do what she wants. She’s quite capable of making a cup of tea and food. Hospital has just discharged her and deemed her medically fit and safe and she’s just been on holiday. I’ve explained I’m cooking dinner for my children and can’t get up for a couple of hours. I’ve not had lunch yet today due to being on the phone with her and the hospital and messaging family who have only given me grief. I’ve just come back off a week holiday and feel like I wasn’t supposed to have any time off. Family are saying I shouldn’t take any money for what I do for her (£2 an hour). I’m her official carer and barely get time to eat lunch on days I am there (4-6 days depending) and yet family (who do fuck all) are saying it’s only what any daughter would do. I put in around 40 hours a week and am on call constantly. I do her shopping, gardening, cleaning, cooking, banking and all admin, hospital and GP appointments, transport booking, holiday booking, gift and card buying, DIY, liaising with all professionals and lots and lots of emotional support. I was exhausted and needed that week away and have come back to being told by family that I abandoned her. I organised carers to be there in the days that I wasn’t and she told me she wouldn’t need carers today so I cancelled them. I’m so pissed off.

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Tiredjusttired · 17/08/2025 18:55

I think you need to step back, focus on your children and your own financial and emotional health. Your children need you to help them to become good people with qualifications and the resources to pay for further education. What is happening with your own pension savings and career trajectory? If the answer is ‘nothing’ then you need to realise you are looking at poverty in old age. ‘Love’ and ‘duty’ (while the rest of your family feather their nests) does not put a roof over one’s head.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 17/08/2025 18:55

Get her a batch of M&S (or similar) ready meals and she can have these. You need to stop trying to be superwoman, you are going to be ill!

Dormit · 17/08/2025 18:53

My family have always found a stick to beat me with. I’ve always been the family scapegoat. I’m NC with most of them as a result. Mum excuses the others because “they work” Yeah, they do, part time, and have cars and no dc at home. Their dc are all adults. They just say they can’t do anything and it’s my job.
Mum had just increased the amount she paid me when she realised how much paid care costs but it’s still only £2 something an hour. When I said that nobody else works for that amount I just got the but you’re my daughter. So is my sister your daughter but she’s never expected to do anything.

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BreadInCaptivity · 17/08/2025 18:52

Stop. It’s that simple.

Tell your mum and family if they don’t think you’re doing a good job they can sort alternative arrangements (that will cost a lot more than £2 per hour).

Vintagenow · 17/08/2025 18:51

Do what your siblings do. You're choosing this and you'll burn out.

Campingisnexttogodliness · 17/08/2025 18:40

Buy dm a calendar.. Add in every third day as you helping. Add in 2 siblings the other days.
Not your fault if they don't turn up. Let dm nag them.

Dormit · 17/08/2025 18:39

She has a chronic condition that means she’s physically disabled and mobilising is very painful. She walks with a wheeled frame but does struggle to stand and cook. I got her the parsley box catalogue and she threw it away. I’ve got information of a local hot meal service and she wasn’t keen on that. We have these weeks of leaning on me far too much and then weeks where she’s pretty great and getting on with stuff. This is one of the shit weeks. She’s admitted to not doing her exercises whilst on holiday which is partially why she’s in a state today because the exercises are as important as the medication . Grrrr.

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stayathomegardener · 17/08/2025 18:35

Cancel any money transferring to yourself and resign as her official carer it’s just a poorly paid stick to beat you with.

stayathomegardener · 17/08/2025 18:35

Cancel any money transferring to yourself and resign as her official carer it’s just a poorly paid stick to beat you with.

Dormit · 17/08/2025 18:34

I was quite happy to help her but it’s become a case of me doing more and more and everybody saying that I’m her carer so they don’t need to do anything at all for her. We tried a couple of weeks with carers instead of me and it was a nightmare of incompetence. She can’t afford it long term anyway. Social services won’t provide any care because she can do all her own personal care. What she needs is a lot of emotional support and I haven’t always got the capacity for that. It was 11 hours home yesterday with cancelled trains, limited phone signal, and trying to get her to A&E from afar with my siblings just washing their hands of her essentially. I’m a single parent and was travelling with two of my ND children and am also ND myself. To be accused of abandoning her has pissed me off so much. I was hundreds of miles away on a train ffs. I’m just venting really.

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TomatoSandwiches · 17/08/2025 18:27

I would stop being an official carer for a mostly capable adult if I was treated like that.

Ilikewinter · 17/08/2025 18:25

100% you deserved your holiday. Probably not want you want to hear but why have you made yourself your DM carer?, if she can manage a week with external help - and make herself a drink and some food - then she can do more to help herself on a permanent basis.
The more you give the more she will take - oh and I'd tell your family to fxxx right off!

Dormit · 17/08/2025 18:16

I have 3 siblings, one who lives locally and drives so can get to mum in less time than it takes me to walk but she only does something if pushed.

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