Pennsylvania

independent/assisted living, is that they've lived in their current home for decades. The very thought of moving is quite scary, even if they don't have boxcarloads of possessions that need to be culled.

I've moved somewhat often much of my life, and made my most recent relocation at age 60. My marriage had come to an end and I decided I didn't want to stay in Dodge -- actually Overland Park, KS -- did some research including three different road trips looking at various parts of the country. I moved to Santa Fe, NM in 2008 and it was the best thing I could have done for myself. When my son is finished with grad school and hopefully gets a permanent job somewhere, I will probably relocate to be a lot closer to him. Right now he's near Washington DC, and it's been approaching two years since I last saw him. I also want to make my end-of-life things easier for him to deal with, and being much closer would help out. My joke is that I want to make it easy for him to sign the DNR orders for me.

It does seem as if you've made some small progress in getting your parents to be realistic about their living situation. Perhaps they will slowly move in the direction of downsizing, getting the help that they need, and perhaps move to a place with more services nearby.

I do hope that all those who read this thread are honest with themselves and to aging parents.