John, aged 71, is retired dentist has just had a heart attack.
His wife died a few years ago so he now lives alone.
John has four children; two of whom live in the UK and one in Dublin.
His daughter Anna lives within two miles of him.
Anna works as a software engineer in Galway city.
Herself and her husband Mark have 3 teenagers.
Mark is a farmer and can keep an eye on John, his father in law, during the day but Mark struggles with aspects of John’s personal care.
Anna and Mark are going to have to decide what to do. They might start by trying to look after John themselves or by planning a rota with the wider family but they will need to bear in mind their other responsibilities – work and looking after their children.
Emer sees this situation regularly, and understands the stress that caring for an older relative can create for a busy family.
If you find yourself facing similar challenges, please call Emer Lavin to discuss your situation and to consider how these concerns might be addressed.
Disclaimer: In order to maintain the anonymity of past clients, Emer has changed identifiable characteristics and details (e.g. names, occupations, places of residence etc.) from their stories above.
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