When her husband died, she thought about moving back to North Carolina, where the couple had lived for 17 years and where she still knew friends. But her son in the Kansas City area persuaded Archer, who is 82, to go there, and she decided on a duplex at John Knox Village last summer. She took her cats, Jezebel and Noel, with her. She has enjoyed making new friends and exploring the landscape, although driving in a new place has been a challenge, she said. Accepting help from adult children and other relatives is important, Boston said, just as it's important for children to step up and offer help without taking over the process.
Some adult children are pushy.
It's our responsibility to help our parents be the best people they can be. Change may seem unwelcome to people in their 70s, but it actually can enliven their lives, a move from a place that is comfortable but may lack stimulation, inspiration. It doesn't hurt anyone to find out there are new opportunities to get involved. Dorothy Curteman misses the familiarity of the old neighborhood from time to time, but she couldn't be more comfortable with the move. Actually, it's so natural.