The declining health of an older family member impacts family members in many ways. This article describes the effects of coping with the needs of older members among three generations. The systemic effects result in challenges to each generation along physical, psychological, and social dimensions. Discussion focuses on the experiences of the respective generations as they each attempt to voice their needs and negotiate their individual and interpersonal development in the context of the older persons’ decline. Multiple theories and intervention strategies, including developmental, narrative, and family systems, will be applied to case material. Helping families to articulate the stress, renegotiate the issues of care, and reframing old patterns of behavior may be crucial to assisting families navigate through this time of life.
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