Bernard Roche

Frances 101 Bernard Roche

People are living longer these days; maybe you will need to deal with aging in your family. "Frances 101" with the working title "Diary of Caring for Mother at 100+; all quiet on the western front" looks at one Brisbane family's experiences in caring for their mother at-home after she reached one hundred years of age.

In this case, the primary caregiver is Bernard, the author of this story. As a sexagenarian, he cared for his centenarian mother, Frances, at her house in the northern suburbs of The River City, Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, Australia, where a hint of sea breeze blesses each day.

As an aside, Bernard addresses relevant family genealogy and experiences that have placed them in their current circumstances. After all, his mother was born in July 1913, before World War I, and was there for the Great Depression and World War II. Her Irish heritage British-soldier father had settled the family in Australia in 1912. Her Irish mother's untimely death in early 1916 had a large impact on the family. At that time her war veteran father, John O'Connor, returned from a year of active service with his Manchester Regiment on the Western Front in Northern France.

Bernard deviates to discuss his hobby interests and world travels to places such as China, Mongolia and Europe. He places the story in a world news context so that its contemporary setting is defined.

The author does not claim to have all the answers or to have done everything correctly. Read this story and ponder your future or consider how to approach aged care in your family.