I recently stumbled on something pretty cool for caregivers – an online series called Ruth & Erica. It’s a short series that you can watch on YouTube and it is entirely free (you can check out the playlist here).
I am, admittedly, a bit behind the times here, as the series came out in 2012. It hasn’t been incredibly popular either, but that might just be because it isn’t a ‘feel-good’ series and it won’t suit everybody.
What I love is that the series is honest about some very hard topics.
It follows a woman and her aging parents, as they work through the realities that come with age and the challenges to relationships that can often occur as part of the process.
There is also a Hispanic version of the series that you can check out.
A TV series like this can be surprisingly powerful. It acts as a good reminder that you’re not alone with the challenges that you face.
As one of the earlier episodes highlighted, concerns about aging parents can be very significant and critical, but they don’t need to be everything. The show does a fantastic job of illustrating the emotional push and pull that can be present in such situations, along with the challenges that individual people face.
The character of the daughter may be very close to home for some viewers, which isn’t a bad thing.
Honestly, it’s simply nice to see the topics of caregiving tackled in such a respectful manner – and explored at depth.
For me, the series was a chance to think seriously about what would be the most important to me in a similar situation and how I would respond.
The episodes are all pretty short (less than 10 minutes, most of the time), so you don’t lose much by checking it out. Please leave a comment below if you do – I’d love to know what you think.
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