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I'm 78 and my sister, who lives nearby, is 10 years younger. She also wants to assume the parent role whenever I let her. She tries to determine what's best for me in a lot of areas. I'm a fully competent person and I do what I want to do and let her stew about it.
The time may come when I'll need that but I'm not even close to it yet. I handle my finances very well. I'm in a HUD subsidised retirement home living entirely on Social Security along with a lot of other people below the poverty level. They're always teasing me about being the rich tenant, not because I am or have more money than them, but because I'm more meticulous in handling my finances.
It's one thing for younger siblings and children to be there when they're needed, and sometimes they are needed. It's entirely another thing when a competent elderly person becomes the victim of a sibling's or child's power trip.
I had a neighbor whose daughter wanted to run her life and tried to for years. My neighbor didn't need it and resisted for years till her daughter wore her down. She moved her into a nursing home even though she was fully able to care for herself and she was miserable. But she was stuck.
Barry
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