It sounds to me like there is some dementia with your mom astralsuzy. We had the same problems with my father in law.

His cleanliness habits evaporated as his mental health declined.

And I would have to disagree on that. Unfortunately, my views are far from prevalent. The real ingnorance is this "one size fits all" approach to health that denigrates the elderly and "mentally ill" to the status of second-class citizens without medical freedom or bodily autonomy. Health, safety, and well-being are largely subjective. Definitions of mental illness change throughout time; a hundred years ago, you were mentally ill if you were gay or supportive of racial equality. Some would even consider most people on this forum mentally ill, simply for the interest in spiriritual, supernatural, and paranormal phenomenon. By subjugating others to any treatment against their will, you ultimately risk your own freedom. The law is clearly flawed and appeals to legality mean little to me. Our right to make our own decisions for our own body should end only when our bodies are simply no more, regardless of what any other flawed human thinks is best for us. But I'm sure we can agree to disagree.

I've come to the conclusion that people would probably be better off being left to their own devices, as the alternative can be a long drawn out hell.

A buffet of logical fallacies.

It's all part of a process. If we were left to our own devices when we are toddlers, and not taught cleanliness there would be more childhood disease and death.

As our parents age and dementia sets in, we take the role of caretaker/parent and take care of them, keep them safe, clean and with a roof over their heads. We want quality of life for them as much as is possible. That's all. It's all done out of love.

To suggest that we just leave our aging parents to their now new rules of uncleanliness is just wrong, in my opinion. I know when my father in law died after battling Alzheimer's disease for 12 years he sent a wholehearted thank you to his son for taking such good care of him all those years that he was unable to himself.

Linen, I have one son, I do not want him to have to take care of me. I'll be doing everything possible to avoid this happening. I appreciate we all have different opinions and thank goodness for that.

It's all good JB. :hug: We all have our crosses to carry and burdens to bare.

And sometimes we can choose not to.