My husband and I have my mother living with us. She is 83 years old and I do everything for her. We buy all the groceries and I fix all her meals, I do her laundry and put it all away, I change her bedding, take her to and from doctor appointments, we entertain her, we make sure she gets her exercise. We currently ask for 500.00 a month and want to raise it to 600.00 a month. Mom is refusing to pay more rent.
No one in our large family had any qualms about any of this. Now that Mom is in a nursing home her costs are way, way more than they were when she lived with Sis. What Sis did was good for Mom, good for the county, and good for her and her husband.
Why should elders be deprived of the dignity of paying their own way (to the extent that they can)?
Charging parents rent is not crazy or greedy. It is in the same category as charging adult children rent. All adults should pay their own ways to the extent that they can. Not to insist on this is demeaning to all concerned.
There is so much to learn about elder care, it's like a part-time or full-time job trying to keep up with everything. I didn't know squat until I came onto this forum which has been so helpful. This is something no one of prepare for or are taught unless one saw and participated in the care of a grandparent by one's parents.