title: Departure scripts and life review of parents living with abusive adult children with mental disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasing numbers of aging parents are finding themselves in the role of caregiver for their mentally ill adult child due to global deinstitutionalization policy. The aim of this article is to explore preparations for the end of life in light of the life review process among old parents of abusive children with mental disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data collection was performed through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 parents, followed by phenomenological analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five different types of departure scripts emerged: a pragmatic departure script, a burned-out departure script, a dead-end departure script, an optimistic departure script, and a violent departure script.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The parents in this study tended to interpret events in their past to fit their perception of the current relationship with their child, thus connecting past, present, and future into one coherent picture. Years of extended care have led to a unique aging process which does not allow separation from the child or the development of a sense of closure that characterizes the aging process. This calls for better insights and deeper understanding in regard to intervention with such families.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Hila
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Avieli
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontology, University of Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Smeloy
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontology, University of Haifa, Israel. Electronic address: twinters@research.haifa.ac.il.
authors.forename: Tova
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Band-Winterstein
mesh_terms: D032721:Adult Children / Q000523:psychology*; D032722:Advance Care Planning; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Elder abuse; End of life; Mental health; Qualitative research