Do our parents deserve to spend the later parts of their lives in old age homes?

Hi.... good discussion! I used to work in a nursing home just as a domestic and I've always said that I never want to go into a nursing home so I could never do that to my mum. She deserves our caring for the length of time she has cared for my siblings and I. :0)

It never is a right choice to leave ones parents in the home for the aged. After all the hardships that they have gone through for us, I think it is the most ungrateful act a child can do, to leave his parents to somebody else to care for. The main point is that they are our flesh and blood, they're our parents, who else could be more important than the two person that brought us into this world and brought us up? I do not know how others can manage to do so, and how other old aged parents can happily take it. I guess some people would like to lift the burden from their children, but then it is the responsibility of the child to repay the hard work and love given to him throughout all those years.

I disagree with that statement. Our genteration is the sandwich generation. More and more of us are taking care of one or both of our parents while taking care of your family. I had my mom for 10 years. She did not help out at all she did not do one dish or cook 5 meals while living with us at that time. She took to her bed and stayed there, she is a pig and pretty much stoped living. Well now she is in nursing home. She never wanted my twin and I, she told us that on a daily basis. But when she did not want to support herself any longer she came to me. Now mom is on several pain meds becasue she does not move, she has osteo arthritis and refused to have hip or sholder replacement. Now at 72 she is almost bed ridden becasue of the pain. She is non complient with PT and refuses to do anything that is remotly hard to a little painful for her. I feel she put herself there. I could not longer wait on her. Besides she is a mean nasty person who was nasty to me my whole life. I needed to get out from under her nastiness.

On one hand, there are situations where children cannot take care of their parents. If a parent needs constant care, has medical needs, or simply cannot be left on their own, then a nursing home may be the only option. Another issue is that some parents are reluctant to move in their children's homes--especially if there are young grandchildren in the picture. Some people feel as though they are intruding. Don't get me wrong--I fully believe that if a child is able, then they should take care of their parents. But right now we're in a situation where we're having to help my mom through her divorce and stuff. She's only in her mid-40s, but she feels as though she should be protecting and taking care of me and my sister. Even though we are 20 and 25, and are able to take care of ourselves and her--she feels like she should be taking care of us. I can only imagine how difficult it will be when she's older and needs us to take care of her again. But to really answer your question--yes, we do neglect our elders. Especially when you look at other cultures and realize that most of the other countries in the world would find the idea of nursing homes absolutely appalling.

omg. crazy for those people who tried to neglect thier parents. there are in a deep sh!t!