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How do you deal with having to parent your parent? My dad has vascular dementia and alzheimers. He's still with it enough to know what's going on but declined enough that he should not do certain things like travel by himself. I've tried to tell him he shouldn't but he wont listen. He's been lost multiple times in the neighborhood I cant imagine what would happen to him in an airport. I have legal authority to make his decisions but that doesn't make it any easier. Other than making up some elaborate lie, I'm forced to be the buzz killing daughter turned parent and it's getting increasingly harder.

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Your reversal of roles is called, the "Cycle of Life."

I put a Medical ID Bracelet on my husband because I was aware of how many times my girlfriend's husband went missing. Had my husband refused the bracelet, we would probably have visited a tattoo shop. Another idea is to put an air tag on his belt loops or in his pocket. I call myself my husband's "helicopter mom." I survived three teenagers, but I'm not sure how it will end up if I have to parent my husband.
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dadsgirl116, it's not easy becoming the "parent" to one's own parent(s). Our parent(s) still see us as the kid, and what do we know.

Dementia is so complex. A friend of mine, his wife had dementia and was living at home. Some way, some how, she was able to fly overseas by herself couple times a year on planned trips to visit friends. It was a mystery how she was able to do that with no problem at all. Yet, when she was back at home, she would get lost and couldn't find her way.

"Therapeutic fibs" are good to have in your back pocket. Keep it simple. With airline issues now a days, those fibs are reality.
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Your profile says dad lives in assisted living. If he’s leaving there on his own to travel the neighborhood or area and getting lost it may be time for a different level of care. Don’t expect dad to listen to your advice, he can’t process information requiring good reasoning skills anymore. Use therapeutic fibs as needed and worry less about being a buzz kill, after all you’re looking after his best interests
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