My parents are divorced, if my dad fell ill it would be difficult for me to be involved in his day to day care, unless I moved him up to where I live... something I doubt he would want. My mother lives close by.
If my father did not fight me relocating him here, I would have no qualms being as active as I could in his care... when he is 600 miles away however, this makes this sort of involvement much more difficult if not impossible.
I think many assume that the government takes care of the elderly.