Self-care, boundaries, and a clear mission will help you care for your parent. Key points You may need to accept that your care receiver will not likely change. Self-care is crucial when caregiving a difficult parent. Periodically revisit your boundaries to see how you are managing. A stressed caregiver sits beside her elderly parent Joanna could have screamed in frustration, but she had promised herself she wouldn’t. Her mother, Barbara, who had progressing vascular dementia