Your Stories: Caring for Parents

There are currently an estimated 44.4 million caregivers of the elderly or chronically ill in the United States, and with the first of the baby boomers turning 60, caring for a parent is something more and more people will face. We asked you to share your experiences about caring for a parent, and you responded with the following heartfelt stories of sacrifice and love:

Barbara Passalacqua recently threw her mother a "pretty in pink" birthday party at her mother's assisted-living home.

(Family Photo )

Barbara Passalacqua

Wayne, N.J.

Barbara Passalacqua's mother now lives in an assisted living facility, but she still visits every day and takes her mother to doctor visits, the mall or lunch and dinner. Passalacqua's two daughters also give up time on their weekends, when the home aide goes home, to care for their grandmother. "My mother has always given for everyone else and was so unselfish in all her actions," Passalacqua said. "I feel this is my time to show my mother how much I appreciate the love and care she gave to me and feel it's my turn to care for her."

Terry Riggins

Valley Village, Calif.

Terry Riggins, 43, moved her 70-year-old mother from Texas to her home in California when she realized her mother could no longer take care of herself properly. "I am happy that my son is getting to spend time with his grandmother while he is young, as I got to with mine," Riggins, a single mother, said. Riggins' mother moved to the United States from Japan more than 30 years ago and raised three children alone, one slightly disabled, from the time they were teenagers.

Nicole Montoney

Columbus, Ohio

Nicole Montoney became a bride at 25, and at 26 she became a caregiver to her father-in-law, Dean Montoney, when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. What has helped Nicole and her husband, Tim, be better caregivers over the last nine years is realizing they also have to live their own lives. Monday through Saturday, they help with medication, doctors appointments, errands, etc., but Sunday is their day for each other. "Tim and I are blessed with four wonderful parents," Nicole wrote. "We could care for all of them over the next 20-plus years and never be able to repay them for bringing us into this world and loving us."