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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Elderly dad and wife expect me to care for her

410 replies

Adrienne23 · 04/01/2025 00:10

My dad left home for his now wife of 50 years when I was 8 years old and they by and large lived their own very comfortable lives together, seeing me around 4 times a year until my teens, then we saw very little of one and other aside from speak on the phone twice a month or so. My mother raised me in relative poverty with not much financial support from my dad at the time he used to claim he didn’t have the means and we only discovered in recent years that he and his wife were far better off than they said they were. My mother passed away nearly 10 years ago from a long illness and I was her main support, although she tried very hard to maintain her independence and not lean on me unless absolutely necessary mainly in order to protect my emotional and physical well being.
I started to see more of my dad since my mothers death and increased communication considerably during lockdown. In the past few months his wife has been diagnosed with cancer and they now both absolutely expect me to provide all sorts of support and care for them both as my dad’s health is also poor. I am starting to feeling incredibly resentful. I worked hard on myself following my mother’s death, getting a new job, social life, etc, but I am still deeply affected by the loss. The level of support my dad and his wife expect from me far exceeds the support my mum expected (or received) from me, I get calls and messages about the health condition of both, several times a day irrespective of what I am doing, demands to drive to and from appointments, visit the house, messages that seem urgent and can’t wait only to just want to chat about themselves, and so on. How can I draw boundaries now before I am completely consumed by them and their needs to the detriment of my own?

OP posts:
borrowingtime · 05/01/2025 23:15

@Adrienne23 I really hope you are reading the responses and that 99% of responders think that YANBU. Please don't waste your precious time on a pair who do not deserve any of it.
Just tell them that you cannot help at all and give them the number for some local care agencies.

GillianCarole · 06/01/2025 00:44

Do you work? If so, your dad can't expect you to run around after them. If they can afford a comfortable lifestyle, they can afford private care. Don't let them guilt-trip you.

Codlingmoths · 06/01/2025 01:21

GillianCarole · 06/01/2025 00:44

Do you work? If so, your dad can't expect you to run around after them. If they can afford a comfortable lifestyle, they can afford private care. Don't let them guilt-trip you.

Have you read the thread? The op could be a lady of leisure, filling her every day with social catchups and watching daytime tv and she would still owe absolutely nothing to the dad who abandoned her at 8 and left her mum financially struggling, lying about his financial circumstances to avoid paying for his child. Not a minute, not an emotional support there there, not a meal, not an admin task, not a single practical action or moment.

HomeTheatreSystem · 06/01/2025 04:34

MonopolyQueen · 04/01/2025 05:37

“Dad I can’t keep up with all these calls and messages, life is very busy! Let’s agree to have a weekly chat on a Sunday afternoon and I can catch up on all your news then. If you are really struggling getting to appointments, taxis will work best or there’s bound to be a hospital transport service if you ask the GP. It was a huge strain looking after mum but I was so happy to do it, after she looked after me basically single handed for most of my young life. I do want to stay close to you but I can’t offer the same level of support to you that I did to mum, it is too exhausting at this time in my life.”

I like this message: it gets the point across in a kind way and sets firm boundaries in place regarding what help she's prepared to offer whilst still maintaining a relationship with her father that she has been happy to build with him in more recent times.

It's a decade since her mum passed: the effects on her from that time of caring for her beloved mum are still deeply felt despite her mum doing her best to do as much as she could for herself to avoid over burdening her daughter (unlike her father it would seem) and she literally has no more to give. As for any possible legacy, I wouldn't factor it in to my thinking at all. Much the safest bet for the preservation of my sanity would be to assume nothing would be coming my way whether I helped out or not.

LalaPaloosa2024 · 06/01/2025 07:33

WickedWitchOfTheEast87 · 04/01/2025 01:48

@Adrienne23 your dad and his wife are cheeky fuckers! Your dad didn't bother for years and left you in poverty whilst he and the woman he left you and your mum for lived a life of riley compared to yours and now he has the fucking audacity to expect and demand you care for them both now they need it! They are shamless and selfish cheeky fuckers.

Op you are well within your rights to tell them both to sort their care needs out themselves and when they complain simply reply "you showed no care or responsibility for me so you are not entitled to expect the same from me". Your dad leaving you in poverty has freed you of any obligation and respobsibilty towards him and his wife. As the saying goes 'you reap what you sow'

I completely agree. And I wonder if the closeness that’s developed recently is deliberate grooming by the father and his wife with a view to emotionally manipulating OP into becoming their carer.

Pippyls67 · 06/01/2025 09:32

I’m really sorry to tell you this Op but this isn’t a proper relationship. You are being used by a pair of extremely selfish people. If you had similar needs you can bet your bottom dollar they wouldn’t have stepped up. You need to remove yourself from this couple and concentrate on your own well being and create other more genuine relationships.

OhCobblers · 06/01/2025 10:00

They can fuck right off - I would be doing sod all - point them in the right direction of the relevant help they need if you like.
Honestly the brazen selfishness and cheeky fuckery of some people continues to astounds me.

Goodtogossip · 06/01/2025 10:11

Learn to say 'No' & don't feel guilty. Your Dad had no guilt walking out on you & your Mum to start a new life so why should you feel guilty living your life now? When they ring to 'chat' say 'Sorry I'm busy, can I call you back later' then hang up. If they ask for lifts say ; Sorry I'm not available that day/time' & leave it at that. If your Dad & his Wife pull you up on it remind them you have a life of your own & have your own commitments so don't have much spare time. You don't owe either of them anything.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 06/01/2025 10:46

BlueLimeRun · 04/01/2025 22:35

I have experience a bit like this, inheritance was dangled but I decided no amount of money was worth the stress.
Honestly I dreaded visiting. It was a relief when I allowed myself to stop. I do feel guilty as they are quite isolated but I just couldn’t continue.

I can empathise, BlueLimeRun, having had the same with my late, hideously abusive father, though TBF I was only in the frame for his money because he hated everyone else even more than he hated me

It was a very difficult line to tread, but luckily he needed little actual health care and died quickly of a massive heart attack, which avoided some of the problems which would otherwise have folllowed

Jzp · 06/01/2025 10:50

BoxOfCats · 04/01/2025 00:23

Just be unavailable. "Sorry, I'm not available to help with that, you'll need to make alternative arrangements." If they bombard you with calls and messages, just ignore them and respond when it's convenient. Tell them you are busy but you will call them on xxx day (whenever actually suits you). They will get the message eventually.

Absolutely this.

BodyKeepingScore · 06/01/2025 11:08

username299 · 04/01/2025 00:27

I would organise a needs assessment with social services.
Teach them how to use Uber
Give them the number for Age UK
Give them the number of carers and food delivery should they need them

Direct all calls to voicemail and not respond to texts.

OP is under no obligation to do any of these things.

Her father is an adult, if he needs the help of these services then he can sort it out himself.

Volumedelachanel · 06/01/2025 11:13

BodyKeepingScore · 06/01/2025 11:08

OP is under no obligation to do any of these things.

Her father is an adult, if he needs the help of these services then he can sort it out himself.

Absolutely agree. The more she does for them, the more involved and invested she will become and the more boundaries will be blurred.

LookItsMeAgain · 06/01/2025 11:14

@BodyKeepingScore - I think @username299 was only suggesting that the OP shows her father how to do these things once and once only so that if he was unfamiliar (as a lot of people on the boards have since replied that their parents wouldn't be able to set up a 'meals on wheels' delivery to themselves or similar) and that by doing the needs assessment with Social Services, they would be on their radar now - there wouldn't be any intention for the OP to maintain this level of care. It's the "showing/teaching a man how to fish" analogy.

@Adrienne23 - how are things now? Have you told your father that you have no intention of caring for his sick wife or for him?

Kave · 06/01/2025 12:03

Make it clear that this is what you are doing, They need to know what they can/can’t expect from you. If nothing, say so. To just do it without making it explicit is cruel. You can always add more in if you change your mind but you won’t be leaving them with false hope.

verdantverdure · 06/01/2025 12:10

With my own parents and in-laws we have had to think about what we are prepared to do for them and set boundaries otherwise my in laws have no compunction about ringing us after midnight or multiple times a day for situations that are not urgent in any way. At one point they rang our children because we didn't answer our phones. (It was 1am here and our sounds were off)

For two days a week I am as available to them as I can be with a full time job and three kids. The rest of the time we have asked them to only call in an emergency and we answer those calls with "what's the emergency?" If there isn't one we remind them of what we consider an emergency, basically health and finance or a hardship like no tv or internet etc Grin Not "I want to vent about your sisters/the neighbours/ Naga Munchetty/Keir Starmer "

Think about what you want to do and feel capable of doing, and do that. Let them know, set your boundaries. And maybe talk to someone about your feelings for your own peace. You're not an amenity for them to use, you're a person with your own life.

My in laws have complained to everyone about our "crazy rules about phone calls" but I hold to it because it protects our peace. We have about 90 minutes a day to ourselves and we need it.

coolkatt · 06/01/2025 12:15

Tell him he has plenty of money saved away to pay for carers. Give him a local phone number then make it very clear this is your expectation.

MrRobinsonsQuango · 06/01/2025 12:18

verdantverdure · 06/01/2025 12:10

With my own parents and in-laws we have had to think about what we are prepared to do for them and set boundaries otherwise my in laws have no compunction about ringing us after midnight or multiple times a day for situations that are not urgent in any way. At one point they rang our children because we didn't answer our phones. (It was 1am here and our sounds were off)

For two days a week I am as available to them as I can be with a full time job and three kids. The rest of the time we have asked them to only call in an emergency and we answer those calls with "what's the emergency?" If there isn't one we remind them of what we consider an emergency, basically health and finance or a hardship like no tv or internet etc Grin Not "I want to vent about your sisters/the neighbours/ Naga Munchetty/Keir Starmer "

Think about what you want to do and feel capable of doing, and do that. Let them know, set your boundaries. And maybe talk to someone about your feelings for your own peace. You're not an amenity for them to use, you're a person with your own life.

My in laws have complained to everyone about our "crazy rules about phone calls" but I hold to it because it protects our peace. We have about 90 minutes a day to ourselves and we need it.

Hardly crazy rules! Like you l have little time to myself and don’t my 60-90 minutes a day dominated by random phone calls, about random unimportant things. Boundaries are required if people can’t act in a thoughtful and respectful way

TonTonMacoute · 06/01/2025 12:25

Go to the Elderly Parents forum OP, there is lots of really helpful advice, plus a thread for just sounding off.

The only help you give them should be along the lines of finding out how they can access help from elsewhere. See if there is a carers support group near them and put them in touch. Help them contact their local Adult Social Care department, ask what help they can get from their GP etc.

Make it crystal clear that you will not be running around after them. If they didn't have you they would have to manage and they need a proper support network.

pollymere · 06/01/2025 12:36

Point out that as he was content to only see your four times a year and give you the minimum support growing up, that you only feel comfortable reciprocating that amount of involvement.

And be less available. Be busy and unable to help. Decide how much help you are willing to give and stick to that. If you do want to see him more because he's dying that's up to you, but once a month is fine. Definitely no driving to appointments.

RareLemur · 06/01/2025 12:56

Even if there wasn't the family dynamic of him being a rubbish father, you cannot set yourself on fire to keep others warm. You need to look after yourself first and then work out how much, if any, support you are prepared to give.
They will try and ignore the boundaries, guilt trip, maybe send flying monkeys to do their bidding but eventually they will have to sort themselves out.

tensmum1964 · 06/01/2025 13:15

BoxOfCats · 04/01/2025 00:23

Just be unavailable. "Sorry, I'm not available to help with that, you'll need to make alternative arrangements." If they bombard you with calls and messages, just ignore them and respond when it's convenient. Tell them you are busy but you will call them on xxx day (whenever actually suits you). They will get the message eventually.

Definitely this.

Nantescalling · 06/01/2025 13:23

Randomontheinternet25 · 04/01/2025 00:27

Id tell them to look into adult social care, if they can no longer look after themselves.

This !

PeachyPeachTrees · 06/01/2025 17:26

They only gradually increased contact because they think you're easily manipulated into helping for free. Do not get sucked in, remind yourself how little they cared for you and make yourself similarly unavailable. Be kind to yourself.

SparklyLeader · 06/01/2025 19:22

The following is only if you want to keep in contact with your father and his wife. It will be difficult to do initially but by giving them and yourself boundaries your time together will eventually become more pleasant and more respectful.

You are now the adult in this relationship with your father and his wife. You have to act like the adult and stop acting like the child.

Adults have schedules because adults lead busy lives
Make a schedule that you feel is reasonable for your time and then cut that down because they will eat your time back up. One two hour block per week, one two hour block per two weeks, whatever works for you and you are comfortable with doing that is a small infringement on your life. Divide your comfortable time in half and give them that much. It will eventually go up to the original number, but you need to have that ceiling firmly in place.

Adults keep their schedule because adults understand their word, especially their word to themselves is what is truly valuable
This is the hard part because you will now be playing chicken with them, first one to swerve loses. You keep saying no until they swerve. You will know they are swerving because they will be honoring the schedule you have laid out for them with you. Just say no until they are asking you to do things within your parameters. Then you keep your parameters tight. Do not blur the edges, especially at the beginning, keep it clean and on-time, no extra stops, no picking up groceries or medicine if it's not on the schedule for that day.

Keep it within the timeframe. You are driving. You literally control all of it. If a medical person comes out to tell you to pick up something for them or stop somewhere, instruct them to put it into writing so that their patientyou are neither the doctor not the caregivercan make arrangements to get what is needed. This is you adhering to your word to yourself. You made the schedule, you keep it for you. People will ask what's your schedule, where do you have to be, none of their business. You did not ask them for help in scheduling your time, but thanks for the offer. Do not give explanations. You don't owe anyone an explanation for how you spend your time. If someone asks, shut them down, tell them it's an inappropriate question.

Adults have to be the ones to uphold the rules
They will beg and plead for you to increase it, the answer is no, when they ask why, tell them because you said so, and to stop asking. If you wanted to share with them you would, otherwise, it's none of their business.

They will ask you to change it three to ten times per week. You keep saying no to changes, please stop asking, and, eventually, they will stop asking.

Once your father and his wife realize this is your schedule, and these are the rules, they will schedule their appointments around your time. Even if something urgent comes up or that's the only time the doctor has open, whatever it is, they can take a Lyft or a cab. They can count their own money which means it's not your problem, unless those types of tasks are becoming increasingly difficult for them then that's a whole different animal requiring a diagnosis and other measures.

Adults use time management for better living
Limit call time to you to once per week, for a certain number of minutes on a certain day and at a certain time. If it's five minutes you hang up at five minutes. It helps to give them a countdown, It's one minute until I hang up, it's 30 seconds, 10 seconds, leaving now, good-bye. Don't answer calls from them after that.

Prior to engaging, let them know they are contacting you too much and it is non-productive. Tell them the new system is they write down their questions, information, etc., and tell you during your weekly call. Explain their constant communication is invasive to your communications systems, and unproductive for you and them since you don't read or listen to these messages anyway (even if you do read them) it's fills space, so you will block them all week until they cease this behavior and keep their outreach to you on the one day per week you communicate with them.

Block calls and texts until next call-time, but before you do that, remind them your next call time will be on this day at this time for x number of minutes and until then you will not be available, by phone or text.

Once you have them on a schedule, if and only if you want to do this, you can increase your time driving them to appointments. This is not a reward, it is about you and your relationship with your father, so do it only if you want a little bit more time with him.

Adults recognize and understand when they are the adult in the room
Think of them as toddlers, you have to say no one more time than they ask. Toddlers don't reason well. They want what they want when they want it. You have to change their behavior by changing your own.

In other words, given their stage of life and how they are beginning to move through it, you now have to become the adult in order to keep this relationship.

Namechangedforgoodreasons · 07/01/2025 00:48

Turophilic · 04/01/2025 00:37

Presumably that he can use Uber, look up Age U.K. and order a Tesco delivery just fine on his own. The OP doesn’t need to do any of that for him!

I think @username299 was quite clearly making the point that there are ways her father could easily manage without her.

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