Episode 25: Mary Anne Urlakis Explores the Topic of Caring for Elderly Parents (June 3, 2019)

In this episode of Inter Vitam et Mortem, Catholic bioethicist Mary
Anne Urlakis interviews a woman concerning Care for Elderly
Parents. The woman has a Master's Degree in Business and is
currently pursuing a second Master's Degree in Theology. In 2007,
the woman's mother suffered a debilitating stroke. From then on,
the woman - with the help of her siblings and other caregivers- has
continued to provide loving daily care for her mother. She has
lived the Corporal Acts of Mercy, and provided a profound witness
to the meaning of sacrificial love. According to a 2016 report
[https://www.bls.gov/news.release/elcare.nr0.htm] 41.3 Million
adults in the U.S. provide unpaid care for an elder. Other studies
demonstrate that approximately 29% of the US population is
providing at least some substantial care for a chronically ill,
disabled, or aged family member. A recent study of 80,000
participants published by the Boston College Center for Retirement
Research demonstrated that 17% of adult children provide
substantial care for a parent. In this interview, the woman and
Mary Anne discuss caring for an aged parent and focus on the
bioethical and theological relevance of seeing the Image of God
reflected in the parent for whom we are caring. (June 3, 2019)