I have elderly parents who have previously been very independent. I'm their only child and I live three hours away from them. I'm in my sixties and I work full time. Over the last six months both of my parents have become physically more frail. They have mobility issues and just can't do things that previously would have been easy for them. Simple things like carry things upstairs, or walk a short distance to the shop. They find it very depressing and really hate the narrowing of their horizons. They struggle on but my dad has recently said that they require more support from me. I was completely blindsided by this, I think I have been happy to bury my head in the sand as they have always seemed so competent. By more support he means my physical presence, as time has passed when I go and see them what they seem to want me to do is general chores but really to sit and talk to them. It's sounds very innocuous but it's exhausting, not helped by a three hour journey there and the same back home. Their expectation is that I do this more often than the current monthly visits that I make. I'm overwhelmed by this expectation. I can't give up work and the only free time I have is weekends so essentially I would work all week, go and see them Saturday, drive back Sunday and go to work Monday. I know myself and I know that this is unsustainable. I love my parents very much but my mother isn't particularly easy and I have struggled all my life with her volatility and my innate need to please her. It's perfectly possible that I will just go along with their expectations because it's what they want but I know I will just become exhausted, I need to pace myself. Does anyone have any advice?