I moved in with my parents 3 years ago to help my dad with my mom's caregiving. I'm glad I got that time with her.

The author moved in with her parents to help with her mother's caregiving.

Courtesy of Jeanni Ritchie I moved in with my parents to help my dad with my mom's caregiving.

She had dementia, and it kept changing the rules.

It was hard at first, but we found a rhythm.

I'm so glad we got that time together.

I moved back to my Louisiana hometown from Biloxi, Mississippi, in 2023 after 35 years on my own.

It was the solution to two problems — I was newly divorced with nowhere to go, and my dad needed help caring for my mom, who had dementia .

It was supposed to be temporary.

Respite care for him, refuge for me.

A year or two, tops.

We almost didn't make it through the first six months.

It was difficult at first I was angry, hurting, and trying to figure out what came next.

Moving back home felt strangely familiar, like being a teenager again.

Unfortunately, I acted like one sometimes, too.