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Elderly parents

Literally no one understands my reluctance to do personal care

358 replies

bringincrazyback · 25/09/2026 17:55

I just want to put that there for now, really, because this board has been just about the only place where people haven't made me feel like a strange/cruel person for saying that emergencies aside I want my DM's carers to handle her personal care (she lives with me) and I can only really get involved if it's needed at times outside of carer visits. Just been through it yet again with one of the carers this afternoon, and yet again I've been met with looks of incomprehension. It makes me feel so annoyed (especially as this never happens to men) but also ashamed that this is how petty and grudging I seem to be over some things. But feeling ashamed doesn't change the way I feel, unfortunately.

Is it reasonable for me to have this boundary (taking into account that I'd never leave my mum without personal care if she needed it), or do I just need to get over myself as a lot of people seem to think?

Sorry, just a quick vent for now as I need to see to DM now the carer's gone, but just needed to put this somewhere, just as a request for some empathy I guess, as I know some on here do understand it. (The only person who understands is DH, but of course if this ever happens to him with his mum he'll never be expected to do it anyway, being a man!) I'll add context later. Thanks for reading.

OP posts:
Hiyawotcha · 25/09/2026 18:05

reluctance is completely understandable and you are right to have boundaries. I feel the same - will not be practically involved in personal care for my mum, and she does not want it either. Unfortutately she’s in a twilight era at the moment where she also doesn’t want the carers to do it either. So a bit of a quandary.

weavingrugs · 25/09/2026 18:05

I can quite easily understand Op, and I am someone who knows that it won’t bother me to be involved in personal care should the need arise.

In the same way I know that I wasn’t bothered by giving birth naked in front of a group of observing medical students, whereas some women would have found that incredibly uncomfortable.

I think that some people in general find understanding other people hard, and therefore make presumptions based on how they would feel in a certain situation.

DozyCrow · 25/09/2026 18:04

I'm also with you 100% OP. Fortunately I'm not in this situation, but my DM is 90 and there could come a day. I really would not want to do this. I was terrified I'd have to do it for DH when he was dying but fortunately it never became necessary.

NiceUnusualDifferent · 25/09/2026 18:03

I worked in care for a number of years and of course did personal care. I would feel the same as you, I wouldn't do it for my own mum. Its different

maudelovesharold · 25/09/2026 18:01

I don’t really understand. Do you mean the carers still expect you to do personal care when they are there? That’s totally ridiculous. My Mum lived with us for 4+ years and the reason we had carers in was to give me a break from all that! I know this isn’t AIBU, but YA definitely NBU!!

Lottapianos · 25/09/2026 17:59

I feel absolutely 100% the same as you do. Couldn't even imagine doing personal care for my parents or for anyone really. Have a ton of empathy from me. And you're right that no one would be expecting this from a man

AvengingAngle · 25/09/2026 17:59

I completely understand. My sister and I are not able to do it for my mum (fully incontinent). Hats off to people who can, but we can't. There's no more to
say, except - solidarity Flowers

Purplecatshopaholic · 25/09/2026 17:59

Not a cat in hells chance I would do personal care. You are not strange/cruel at all op. If someone is happy to do it, then great, but I’m not so wouldn’t do it, and you feel the same way. I doubt it’s unusual - don’t feel bad.