Has dealing with elderly parents made you plan for old age?

Yes. Two years ago we had to move mum into care,although it was the last thing she wanted. Leaving her little house broke her heart and she died after only 3 weeks in care. It was the most horrific time; the slow deterioration and realisation, clearing the house and selling it etc.
Since then I have been on a steady declutter of stuff in my house so the children wont have to. I force myself to attend yoga to assist my mobility and do strength exercises so that I can get up off the floor unaided. I have a death book with all financial and practical information, and an up to date Will. I will appoint a PoA in due course.
Quite honestly, after seeing mum go from an adventurous,fun loving person to an immobile,incontinent misery,I fear old age far more than I fear death.

Yes. MIL had a stroke and went from a healthy woman in her 70s who lived independently and needed no support to someone who needs 24/7 care and has limited cognitive ability. Literally overnight.

The process of supporting her was hard enough, but it was made infinitely easier because she had all her financial affairs organised and documentation in one place; her house was reasonably clutter free and she had clear lists of contacts etc in place. And LPAs, wills and funeral arrangements already set up It's made me very conscious that I haven't done any of that, partly because I think it's a long way way, but I have no control over what might happen to me tomorrow.

My Dad passed away a few years ago and we've still got boxes and boxes of his belongings to sift through in our garage. He downsized from a 4 bed house with large garage to a small 2 bed flat with no outside space and barely got rid of anything. I deeply regret not being stricter with him at the time. My Mum and stepdad live in an entirely unsuitable house that Mum can't manage the stairs/upstairs bathroom in... hence not taking her water retention tablets properly and making herself unwell. And she won't hear of a commode in the living room. Sigh.

DH and I have both addressed the belongings we've had stored in cupboards and in our lofts. If the adult DC haven't wanted to take it to their homes, it's been disposed of and our loft is completely clear... took us nearly 5 months to do, mind. And we don't buy lots of things as we know at our stage in life it's just clutter for the kids to clear one day. We will downsize once we've both retired - we don't want the tie of gardening and house maintenance so have chosen a few little towns in the area to look at getting a flat in. And our wills are in place with all of the DC as joint executors/equal shares so it's totally fair.

Mother is 85 and still fine, independent etc but at 65 have just had my (small) house remodeled and have put in a downstairs shower room for this eventuality. Moving back into the house I V am ruthlessly declutterung and only keeping immedistely useful/or genuinely (a few) sentimental items. No tat or pointless ornaments or Have Will and POA in place and gathering ask the useful docs to keep in as specific place for the DC to access to make as simple fas possible for them.

Currently sat in a hospice coffee shop in a nightmarish world trying to support my Dad. I’ve promised my young adult children they will have clear plans and they won’t be left quite so lost and bewildered as both me and my Dad are at the moment.

Yes, because there is no way my DC would be cognitively/physically able to do for us what I am doing for my DPs.

We are simplifying financials, and keeping any eye on health so we downsize in time. We have LPAs in place for ourselves, though they need reviewing now DC are adults.

Can't do too much for us as busy sorting DPs and DCs!!

We are in the trenches caring for the in-laws at the moment. And it’s made us very aware of the pressures we could potentially be putting on our own adult dc. So we’ve made our wishes clear, decided who’s going to deal with POA when it’s needed. We are downsizing in the next few years to an apartment or bungalow. Making an appointment with a financial advisor.

in-laws refused carers till recently. FIL is bedbound needing constant care that has fallen to mil in recent years and now that’s left her physically struggling too. They live in a huge house thats terribly cluttered but refuse to part with even a carrier bag lol. Nothing in the home is suitable for their needs now (upstairs bathroom) and they sit in their substantial wealth instead of making their life easier with some adaptions and extra care. Instead leaning on my dh for constant support while he’s working a full time job on top. We hardly see him and he’s exhausted. I refuse to put our dc through this