They are having children later in life, which increases the chance that they will be looking after toddlers as their parents' health fails. Many women are now working full time, leaving them little time to meet all their family's care needs. Families reach this stage with little preparation, Herold said. Such important issues as long-term care, power of attorney and wills are topics that some families aren't comfortable discussing because it forces them to deal with their parents' mortality. As a result, families become fractured, and inevitably one person takes over most of the care-giving chores.
Some people step in, and some people are unable to handle it and run from it.
That gets set into place and is carried on. This is not a good idea. Aging relatives can do a few things to help minimize potential conflicts before they get sick. Herold suggests they set up a power of attorney in the name of an adult child and set up a will. Once a relative gets sick, families should meet and divvy responsibilities.