I watched our close friend launch her child ( so we thought) and finally have long days of freedom, then her father became frail, mother sick. Fortunately they moved to assisted living so at least she didnt have to care for their house. Then her mother went through a series of health issues and died. Then her father became more frail. Then, her daughter, unmarried, produced a baby.
Now she is caretaking the baby a fair amoint and running to take care of her father who is increasingly frail, injured, and refuses to go to the nursing home side of the assisted living center. He is just on the edge and they wont insist.
my Father in law is the only parent remaining of our parents. He has a girlfriend ten years younger who lives with him, so she does a lot of caretakng. A few months ago they were both hospitalized at the same time. They are still living out on his farm, and even though he has some dementia, his dr cleared him to sit on the tractor and till, but he cant plant.
the girlfriend wants to pit a bid in on a retiremrnt community place, but his youngest son (not DH) says "not yet." So, his son spends a faiir amount of time out at the family farm, ut that seems to be his choice. He cant stand the girlfriend, so that makes it a bit difficult.