Reply to Whose attendance at a funeral is more important?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Why can’t the retired folks move their schedules?

Why does the person still working and the family with the child having surgery need to move stuff around? And…non life threatening doesn’t mean non life changing. I had a procedure for a condition that wasn’t life threatening, but the longer I waited, then more likely I would have complications. There are also insurance issues - pre-approvals expire. So they might have to start the whole process again.

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OP here.
Yes, many of the things you mention above are at play in this situation.  [/quote]

OP you haven’t chimed back in on whether caretaking or other tasks fell heavily or entirely on the local adult child?  Is it possible that they are physically or emotionally fried and just need the funeral to be over?  How is your west coast sibling doing?  The business trip can’t be moved or another person can’t attend? Really?  That’s virtually unheard of in any culture.[/quote]

For context, my mom had been in horrible shape for a long time.  She had advanced dementia and for about the last year and half she had been immobile and non verbal.  My dad is still mobile and verbal but we think he also has dementia.   He is very stubborn and refused to acknowledge it.

The local adult child did a LOT of the logistical  work for my parents,  I've written a lot about my parents situation on the forum here (midlife concerns and eldercare.)   My parents have basically moved 5 times in the last two years to various assisted living/ random apartments with a live in caregiver situations.  The physical labor of caring for my parents was done by hired help but my brother spent countless hours arranging tours (of assisted living facilities) trying to help them pay their bills (my parents have plenty of money but my Dad was making grave financial mistakes and obstinate about allowing my brother to directly be involved in the finances, yet expecting him to clean up all the "messes.")   I am sure my brother is exhausted, and unfortunately it's not over.   My Dad is still alive, still becoming more confused (dementia) and still increasingly obstinate about giving up control.

My other brother and I have tried to help from afar as much as possible with calling places to set up appointments, and also we've advised my brother that he should refuse to help in some of these situations.  One of my posts on the other forum describes how just a couple months ago, my Dad decided to move (again.)   He had been living a few minutes drive from my brother but his live in caregivers' manager convinced him to move closer to her--about a 45 minute-1 hour drive away from my brother.   Yet even after he moved (literally with just a few days notice to my brother) he was still calling/texting my brother daily with some issue that he expected my brother to drop everything and go over there.   When these things happen, and my brother tells us, we've advised him that he should seek legal advice on getting my Dad declared mentally incompetent.  My brother (the one local to my parents) is the one that my parents entrusted with all medical POAs, is the trustee on their trust (to be honest I'm still not exactly sure what is involved in that) and executor of their will.   Any and all power over my parents was given to my brother (by my parents before their health declined.)

The date that my other sibling and I are able to make is the earlier date---so if it's about just needing it to be over, that would actually be a more practical date.  So yes, I'm sure he is tired and fried---but I don't see how accommodating  one set of relatives instead of his own siblings would alleviate that.  If he is bitter that he did so much more than my other brother and I, then I do not know what to say to that.   There is nothing my other brother or I could have done to make his workload less.[/quote]

Yes, there is. You could have worked out a schedule, between the two of you, to be physically present more often.

The person doing the most work and having to deal with everything can pick the date of the funeral. You can choose whether to be there. Or not. I can’t imagine choosing anything other than to be there unless I was in the hospital for an emergent reason. [/quote]

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