Ohio State nav bar

Skip to main content

The Ohio State University

  • Help
  • BuckeyeLink
  • Map
  • Find People
  • Webmail
  • Search Ohio State
  • Home
  • Food
  • Family and Relationships
  • Money
  • Mind and Body
  • Webinars
  • Authors

Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Topics:

The Ohio State University
You are here: Home / Family and Relationships / Empowering Your Family for Your Later Years

February 7, 2020

Empowering Your Family for Your Later Years

At what age do you think the job of parenting ends? Is it when your child graduates from high school or college? Is it when they get married or start a family of their own? While these events are important milestones, the truth is that the parenting role doesn’t stop until we prepare ourselves and our children for their role in our last years of life.

No one knows for sure what the last chapters of their life will include, Adult daugther talking with aging mothersuch as how and when their health will worsen, and death will occur. However, it is likely that issues will eventually arise and tough decisions will need to be made. When this happens, many times, adult children are confronted with an unexpected crisis that disrupts their parents’ lives. By waiting until a crisis occurs to talk about your values and preferences, wishes for health care or details of your finances may not be known. Waiting until a fall, accident, or serious diagnosis, big decisions may be driven my assumptions. It is important to be proactive, instead of reactive, so conversations occur when emotions are not high.

When a parent does not plan ahead for their later years, it leaves the difficult decisions up to their children. The parent becomes the innocent bystander to potential disagreements between family members, and emotionally driven decisions that may be made. By procrastinating, your children’s emotions and state of mind could suffer. They will be forced to make decisions without knowing your wishes. These hastily made decisions could result in your children:

  • Feeling guilty or incompetent if something goes wrong
  • Feeling helpless when trying to navigate the cost of healthcare
  • Being filled with self-doubt about difficult decisions
  • Losing support from siblings or other family members due to disagreements

Planning ahead and sharing your wishes reduces the burden that can fall on your children. By embracing a precautionary and cooperative state of mind, you can empower your family for anything that lies ahead. Having critical conversations that prepare for surprises and plan solutions will reduce the weight considerably on your children, leading to less stress and anxiety which will make your time together more enjoyable. There are online resources such as Five Wishes and The Conversation Project that can help guide your planning process. Ohio State University Extension is offering an in-person program called “On My Terms” for information about locating a class, please contact Kathy Tutt at tutt.19@osu.edu.

 

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

WRITTEN BY: Kathy Tutt, Family & Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Clark County

REVIEWED BY: Jami Dellifield, Family & Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Hardin County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • https://cdn.xl.thumbs.canstockphoto.com/nursing-home-senior-woman-with-her-home-caregiver-stock-photograph_csp4561399.jpg

REFERENCES:

  • Five Wishes. https://fivewishes.org/shop/order/product/five-wishes
  • Greif, G.L., & Woolley, M.E. (2015). Patterns in adult sibling relationships after the death of one or both parents. Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care, 11, 74-89. doi: 10.1080/15524256.2015.1021435
  • Hurme, S.B. (2015). Checklist for My Family: A guide to my history, financial plans, and final wishes. American Bar Association/AARP.
  • Prosch, T. (2014). The Other Talk: A Guide to Talking with your Adult Children About the Rest of Your Life. United States: McGraw-Hill Education.
  • The Conversation Project (n.d.). Your conversation starter kit. Retrieved from https://theconversationproject.org/
  • Umberson, D., & Chen, M.D. (1994). Effects of a parent’s death on adult children: relationship salience and reaction to loss. American Sociological Review, 59, 152-168. doi: 10.2307/2096138

Categories: Family and Relationships
Tags: aging, caregiving, communication, death, decision making, end of life, Parenting

Avatar for Kathryn Goins Tutt
Avatar for Kathryn Goins Tutt

About Kathryn Goins Tutt

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent Posts

Loving Kindness chart from self to world

Cultivating Loving-Kindness

Exploring the Heart of It All webinar series presented in Autumn 2024

pages of open book shaped into a heart

Making Every Day Sweet

I will serve 2024MLK

Unite, Serve, and Transform on MLK Day to Create the Beloved Community

Follow Us!

  • Facebook

Footer

Need Assistance?

If you are having issues logging into the site, need assistance with updates, or need to request an alternate format please send an email to the EHE Service Desk at servicedesk@ehe.osu.edu stating the nature of your issue and we will assist you. Thank you.
Are you a Live Smart Ohio Author? Log in here!

Categories

  • Food
  • Family and Relationships
  • Money
  • Mind and Body
  • Webinars

Follow us!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
The Ohio State University
FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN ECOLOGY
COLLEGE OF FOOD, AGRICULTURAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

© 2025 Live Smart Ohio - Family and Consumer Sciences | The Ohio State University - College of Education and Human Ecology | Accessibility | Privacy Policy

%d