I really didn’t know what caring for an aging parent would be like.
After my father died, my mother continued living alone in New York City. She was in her mid-80s and fiercely independent. She managed all her finances, doctor appointments, and dinner dates with her new boyfriend. She loved her apartment, her lifestyle, her friends, and her iPhone 16, and had no interest in ever leaving. Then her health declined dramatically.
It became clear that staying alone in Manhattan was no longer safe for her without round-the-clock care, which, financially, was not an option. We decided to move her into an assisted living facility in Connecticut, near…
