There are many emotions that arise when your parents become part of the elderly population.  You are unsure of how to care for them when they become unable to care for themselves.  When caring for aging parent options get confusing to you, consider doing some research to figure out what will work the best for everyone concerned.  No one expects you to put your life on hold to take over the 24/7 full time care of your parent.  You can place your parent in a nursing home as long as you see them often and watch for any signs of mistreatment or neglect or you can hire a home health care professional to help you out and keep them at home.