Moved to Florida to retire after 14 years of caregiving my two parents in our home, while we raised our youngest child. Moved to a 55+ community. Loved it the first couple of years. Now my husband has older aunts and uncles who live near us and are asking us to help with their care. It started out please just help us put our garbage out to the curb once a week. We felt we could help with that. Then one became ill spend 3 weeks in a hospital and now is moved to a rehab center. (we don't think he will get out --92 years old) But spouse wants us to drive her every day to hospital and then nursing home and back so she can visit. (She claims she can drive but we have never seen her, she has lupus and is very unstable on her feet).
We moved to Florida to have a break and enjoy our retirement. It's not happening. We feel guilty, we want to help but not on an ongoing basis. Our lives have been so disrupted. We aren't young anymore ourselves and are tired out after helping others. We thought of helping two times a week, but then even that thought leaves us feeling frustrated and resentful.
That is just one of 3 people who are putting demands on our time. The other is no relation at all but wants us to drive her to church, with us every week. This leads to any church activity we attend they want a free ride. We give her the front seat and my husband puts her wheel chair in car ( I can do it but it is hard for me). I end up sitting in the back seat with no seat belt or have to drive. I don't like either option.
Then we have the 3rd aunt who lives in our condo building and doesn't over use us, just asks for help when needing a ride to the hospital. She is handy and always offers to pay us. (we don't take it) She lives so close it is no trouble to help her with garbage, car, etc. We tend to stop by on a regular basis to check in or she won't ask for help.
I think it is the ongoing commitment we don't want to make. Helping now and then, here and there is no problem. But we don't like being tied down to helping some and them counting on us to take them regularly. How and what kind of boundaries are reasonable to set?
You don't have to justify or explain why you're not willing to help. That is a good 1st boundary. If you are willing and able say yes, if not, say no.
If you think they can't manage another solution give them a list of ideas with phone numbers.
Put neighbor in the back seat, this may be enough for her to decide she will find a different solution. I am sure you are a huge blessing for her.
We teach people how to treat us, so start now re-teaching them how you desire to be treated.
You’re right. Why do we feel we have to explain? Well. I have had people ask for a reason after saying no. They didn’t like my answer though so they shouldn’t have asked. I simply said, I don’t want to and to ask someone else.
The reason I say this is, transportation is an area that has a lot of assists and affordable options for seniors, so you can refer them out to 1) senior rides/bus 2)Uber/Lyft. 3) other neighbors, 4) other church friends, or 5) medical transportation vans.
The sad thing is that we as nice and helping people don't have the backbone to say no. It's just not in us, but, I'd come up with an excuse to use with all of them and just bite the bullet and do it. you may have to repeat it a couple of times, but, it's only right. You and DH deserve your own time to enjoy your own retirement. Having to be caretaker for others, when you didn't sign up for it, is just unfair and unacceptable, imo. Part of the joy of retirement is to be totally free and have NO constraints on your time or attention.
I would consider saying, we are no longer transporting. It's an insurance thing. Or, we've made some decisions and we are no longer doing _______. I do have a number you might call to get that service though. It sounds cold, I know, but, it's like I ask my mom sometimes, when she's worrying herself to death over hurting someone's feelings. I'd ask, Who should feel bad in this situation? Me or them? If someone is going to feel bad, it shouldn't be me, because, I have done nothing to feel bad about.
"I'm happy to call around to see if I can find a home health care aide that help you take the trash out every week. Or do you just need cans with wheels?"
"I'm happy to call a Taxi for you to take you to church every week."
etc.
Help can be offered in many ways. You don't have to be the person offering the service.
Time to get out of the back seat and let the "hitchhiker" take the back seat. This may prompt a...I can get a ride from "Betty" or someone else.
Start taking the money for a car ride, the "hitchhiker" you can tell them that the ride will be $5.00, again they may decide that there is someone else that can drive them. And again they may also be able to get transportation free or low cost. And the drive to church, you can always say you are not going home afterwards so you will not be able to give a ride this week. (then go out to breakfast so it is not really a "fib")
the more you "help" the more it will be expected.
Part of the problem is "a little help" goes from a little favor to an expectation.
You can say no.
People hate to say no. You feel mean if you say no. But I bet you said no to your kids when they were growing up.
Stop explaining yourself! Learn to say something like "No we cannot do XYZ" and "No we cannot take you with us to church". If you do feel the need to explain yourself, throw out an innocuous "We have plans" or "We aren't heading in that direction today".
Learn to manage expectations. If you do feel that you want to give someone a ride, you are under no obligation to make it a round trip! Let them figure out the return trip for themselves.
Recognize that any person who asks you for an explanation if you cannot accommodate their request is being rude.
Change your routine and start enjoying the retirement you moved to Florida to have. Get busy being busy! Do not let anyone steer you away from whatever plans you and your husband have made.
Read up about irrational guilt. Irrational guilt is about rules that others try to impose upon us but to which we ourselves do not subscribe. Often it's about over-responsibility and feeling responsible for another person's happiness.
By the way, same thing happens when your a stay at home Mom and your SIL works. My Aunt was always asking Mom to do something for her because Mom didn't work.
My parents just can't figure out why it's an issue for their adult children to take their time when they are off work to come to our parents house to do certain tasks. Daddy is handy, but, is losing the ability to do certain things. They seem to be insulted that the adult children don't rush to their aid for everything. I don't think they will ever get it.
My father’s constant runs to every doctor under the sun got to be too much and I had to cut it off completely. He would try every trick in the book to get me to be his transportation. The thing is he was convinced it was some sort of treat FOR ME to take him to the doctor. I didn’t know how to tell him I was done with wasting my time sitting in waiting rooms.
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