answer:I would never place my parents in a nursing home. i have seen so many cases of neglect. I am currently taking care of my 92 year old mother. she needs a lot of attention and my wife is feeling some jealousy, because of this. this is one of the problems that children of elderly parents face. i made a promise to never put my mother in a nursing home. this is a promise i may regret, somewhere down the road. To answer your question, yes, i definetely think its an obligation for children to take care of their elderly parents. some children avoid this situation by moving out of the country or 3,000 miles away from home. this is a shame. when my mother-in-law could not take care of herself, instead of a nursing home, we took her into our home and took care of her until she passed away. Wife and i feel this is only the correct move to make with elderly parents.