Forced to stay home by elderly parent

[DGS49]

This is apropos of nothing at all, but I've seen many instances of an interesting phenomenon in recent years.

I'm a Boomer, and consequently I'm of an age where many of my contemporaries have very elderly parents living with them. (Also dogs, if you can believe it).

These people always decline to do things, especially travel, because "I have to take care of my Mom." OK. Fine.

But when the old person or the dog dies, they still don't go anywhere or do anything, and it APPEARS that they were just using the fogey as an excuse; they are just boring people who like to talk about doing stuff, but don't actually want to do it.

One friend in particular always talked about moving to Savannah, GA. Had seen pictures and read stuff...he was actually looking at real estate and talking to brokers about specific houses. But couldn't actually go there because his elderly father was still in the picture and he had to look after him. Then his father died. We offered to go with them to Savannah (been there a few times ourselves and love it), but...nothing.

Now he doesn't talk about it anymore. And doesn't go anywhere (even before CV).

Is this a common thing, or just my friends?

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

Some people just get tired. It's pretty common.

I tried to get a group together last summer for just a day trip to King's Dominion. No deal. They'd rather stay home and watch Netflix.

 

[Moonglow]

This is apropos of nothing at all, but I've seen many instances of an interesting phenomenon in recent years.

I'm a Boomer, and consequently I'm of an age where many of my contemporaries have very elderly parents living with them. (Also dogs, if you can believe it).

These people always decline to do things, especially travel, because "I have to take care of my Mom." OK. Fine.

But when the old person or the dog dies, they still don't go anywhere or do anything, and it APPEARS that they were just using the fogey as an excuse; they are just boring people who like to talk about doing stuff, but don't actually want to do it.

One friend in particular always talked about moving to Savannah, GA. Had seen pictures and read stuff...he was actually looking at real estate and talking to brokers about specific houses. But couldn't actually go there because his elderly father was still in the picture and he had to look after him. Then his father died. We offered to go with them to Savannah (been there a few times ourselves and love it), but...nothing.

Now he doesn't talk about it anymore. And doesn't go anywhere (even before CV).

Is this a common thing, or just my friends?

My aging parents don't live in my garage, they do stay at home a lot because they are elderly and frail. They have talked about moving every year since they had to sell the lakehouse and move into town they hate living in suburbia as did I.

 

[Moonglow]

Some people just get tired. It's pretty common.

I tried to get a group together last summer for just a day trip to King's Dominion. No deal. They'd rather stay home and watch Netflix.

Mine don't want to do holidays either.

 

[Moonglow]

My Ma in law has dementia and alzheimers so we have to lock her in her house and my wife has to live with her(seven years now)so she doesn't run away. The Dad in law died in 2000.