Satow

"No matter how much you love your parents, it's going to disrupt your life," says Roberta Satow, a sociology professor at Brooklyn College.

Caregivers cope with stress, mixed emotions about aging parents 2007

Satow says caregiving today may require more years than raising a child.

Caregivers cope with stress, mixed emotions about aging parents 2007

She has registered herself as “Madame de Satow, with companion.”

When We Dead Awaken 2008

She has registered herself as “Madame de Satow, with companion.”

When We Dead Awaken 2008

Today Satow and her husband run the Jed Foundation, which helps colleges develop strategies for dealing with student depression.

DEALING WITH DEPRESSION 2007

But as the blunt title of her book suggests, Satow doesn't believe in rose-colored glasses.

'Doing the Right Thing' 2007

Satow urges caretakers to acknowledge -- privately or with a therapist -- the powerful feelings that can come along with caring for an aging parent.

'Doing the Right Thing' 2007

"It's not something you can do on a Tuesday," says Satow.

'Doing the Right Thing' 2007

Satow advises parents of every student to become informed about mental-health services at their child's school.

DEALING WITH DEPRESSION 2007

And even though it's not easy to admit, Satow says, even the most dedicated caregivers frequently feel a deep ambivalence about their new and often unwanted role.

'Doing the Right Thing' 2007