My dad's 87 and very ill (probably terminal) in hospital. My mum (who's still relatively healthy) is looking after him as best she can and we're hoping to have him home soon for palliative care so that he ends his life at home. I live an hour away (sometimes two because I rely on the M25!), work 3 days a week and am a single mum to 14 year old DD. I have two brothers, one of whom actually lives with my parents and the other is local to them. All they do to help is give mum lifts to the hospital and take her shopping. I do everything else - support them emotionally, talk to the medics and arrange dad's care, pay their bills etc. I've been going down twice a week but can only afford to do it once as I struggle to afford the petrol (I'm on a very tight budget) so from next week it'll just be the once unless there's an emergency. DD is lovely but a teenager and all that goes with it and she gets no financial help from her father. I feel bad that I can't buy her the things that her friends get.
I feel that I ought to be doing more for my parents. I'd like to be able to stay with mum for a while and really help her but with DD and job combined, it's just not feasible. Am I doing enough to help? Has anyone else been in the same situation? It's such a shame that my brothers don't do more but nothing's going to change that. The one who lives with them can't even change a lightbulb! I'm beginning to feel I don't know where to turn and thought here might be a good place to start....