The Problem: What do I owe the elderly parent?

Pamela and Richard have just retired. A doctor tells them that because of the onset of senility, Pamela's eighty-five-year-old mother cannot continue to live alone. Despite the necessity of forgoing many personal plans and recognizing the strain it will put upon them, Pamela and Richard decide that they cannot put Pamela's mother into a nursing home. Instead they move her into a spare bedroom in their house.

Some questions to ask yourself:

1.       What do children owe their parents?

2.       Are grown children responsible for their parents' well-being?

3.       Are positive feelings a necessary basis for obligations?

4.       In what way, if any, should money play a part in determining obligations?

5.       What sacrifices are reasonable in order to meet your obligations?

6.       How do you balance your needs and that of your spouse with that of another family member?

7.       Are Pamela and Richard doing the right thing?