Quote:
Originally Posted by JMintzer
I know about ONE adult child in my village. He is mentally disabled and his parents still care for him... He's a sweetheart...
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Understandable. I applaud parents who make the commitment to care for a handicapped child.
The opposite seems to be true as well. I know of two homes in our village where an adult child provides care for a parent or parents who would not be able to live independently here in TV without that help. In fact the church we attend is sponsoring a program for just such caregivers as well as spouses who care for an incapacitated spouse (usually the wife caring for an incapacitated husband). It is just getting off the ground. The program is run by a psychiatric nurse who has had extensive experience in this particular area. I'm not completely familiar with the mechanics of the program but it appears to be several things: a type of respite care where a volunteer, after being trained in the needs and procedures of the person in question, will go into the home to stay with the incapacitated person while the primary caregiver (spouse, adult child, whomever) is free for a period of time to pursue his or her own interests, shop, whatever. It appears also to function as a sort of informal support group where experiences and information is shared.
There is never a lack of stories about ne'er-do-well adult kids to move here to sponge off parents and all too often end up afoul of the law in the process. But that other element exists as well. I have no way of knowing for sure but my guess is that the children who are here as legitimate caregivers far outnumber the the sponges. It is good to see a program designed to help them cope with the strain and inconvenience that being such a caregiver entails.