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The justice system doesn’t force adults to provide caregiving for others. That’s a choice each person makes, just as you’re making. You can get help by having your parents hire help or move to where more help is available. I hope you’ll won’t ruin your sibling relationships over this and will accept their choices.
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Reply to Daughterof1930
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No, you can't force your siblings to help with your parents and neither can the justice system. How your siblings spend their time is their choice. They are not required to follow your schedule for them. How you spend your time is your choice. You are not required to do any more than you want, or any more than you are able, for your parents. Your parents can pay people to help them, or they can move to a facility with the correct level of care for their needs. If this is not affordable for them, or they refuse to get help other than from you, you can look into turning over their care to Adult Protective Services or signing them up for Medicaid, if they qualify.
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Reply to MG8522
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We're all responsible to plan for our own old age! How shocking! How strange! WE CANNOT DEPEND ON THE NEXT GENERATION TO PROVIDE FOR US! THEY ARE NOT THE PLAN!

Except that parents like yours think you must become a care slave and have no life of your own. It's up to you to reclaim your freedom any way you can. You matter too.

Start out by figuring out your own plan. Then execute it. Then make sure you keep your reasonable boundaries.

I wish I'd been more reluctant to serve both of my parents. I have learned a lot since then! I wish you luck in doing what you have to do to remain you.
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Reply to Fawnby
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Sinto muito, não falamos português.
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Reply to Slartibartfast
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Slartibartfast Feb 25, 2026
Oh good, the original question was translated! Nice job whoever took care of that.
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The first step to find/implement help is for you to accept that help/solutions won't be perfect and won't make everyone happy. The person you need to protect is you.

Solutions:
- you tell your parents they must pay for hired in-home aids. Whether or not you manage this (because it will require management) is up to you.
- you contact social service for their county to get an in-home assessment to see if they qualify for any help, which is usually light housekeeping, laundry, hygiene, light food prep. Counties can have other services, like for food or transportation to medical appointments. This is very limited help and they need to qualify.
- you walk away and report them to APS. APS may eventually refer the to the courts for an assigned legal guardian who will then take over all the financial and medical management. But you have to stay completely away otherwise APS won't see the true nature of their situation, and will delay a permanent solution.

Your siblings have identified their boundaries and are defending them. You have not and look where it's gotten you: burning out. If you burn out, you won't be able to help your parents anyway, therefore you must make taking care of yourself the priority.

More information about your age, whether you have a paying job, and the condition/ages of your parents would be helpful. Do you live with them or them with you? How long has this been going on?
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Reply to Geaton777
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Your siblings have made the wise choice to only come when it's convenient for them, and it sounds like now you're upset because you didn't make the same wise choice. It's not too late for you to get wise and step away, and only help when you can and it's convenient. Your parents may have to now move into the appropriate facility where they will receive the care they now require and where you and your siblings can get back to just being their children and not their burned out and resentful caregivers. And if money is an issue they'll have to apply for Medicaid. And why would you think it's the justice systems job to force people to take care of people they don't want to? That's a bit crazy don't you think? Would you want someone forcing you to do something that you didn't want to do and wasn't cut out to do? I'm just curious.
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Reply to funkygrandma59
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Your siblings are free to make the choices that are best for them just as you were. Now you are discovering this was not your best choice and you want others to suffer along with you? No you don't get to decide that. Sorry for being so blunt but I get so angry when I see posts about someone feeling entitled to make decisions for others. And this is coming from an only child.

Decide what you can and are willing to do and do only that. There is nothing wrong with telling your parents you can do only so much and they will have to hire out to pick up the slack.
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Reply to lkdrymom
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It would be nice if we knew your age and the age of your parents. Why are you caring for them?

Because of the first response to your question about "we don't speak Portuguese" are you from the US? If not, our health system is much different than other countries.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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Slartibartfast Feb 25, 2026
The original question was in Portuguese (according to google) so I looked up how to let OP know probably none of us could answer. No idea if OP lives there or not.
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