Backpacking/independent traveling with elderly(ish) parent

Hello all,
First of all, please excuse me if my question doesn't really seem to fall under this board's category. I didn't have much luck with site-wide and web-wide search on the topic.
Has anyone any experience backpacking or traveling independently with a sixty-something-year-old parent?
Lately, I've been feeling my age a lot and with it an urgency that I should travel as much as I can before I become too old physically to enjoy everything. And then it occurred to me, my mother's seen less of this world and she's even older (duh!). So I suggested to her to let's take a few months off from work when it gets a little less busy for her and go explore the world. I don't know if she's just feeling pity for her daughter who's already going through a midlife crisis or what, but she's showing interest. Right from the start, she's named a few places like the Niagara Falls, Yellowstone, and Asia. When and if we do this, we will likely be gone about a month or two at a time, concentrating on one area each time and taking care of necessary obligations at home in between (our home airport Los Angeles Int'l seems relatively conducive to being a worldwide hub). For example, fly to a major Asian hub, use local budget airlines to see some choice destinations in the region, return home for a short break, then fly out to the next continent and so on for 3 - 6 months.
Anyone with similar experience? Mother doesn't have any specific health issues other than her own fear that she's too old to do anything strenuous (she's barely sixty!). What kind of budget should I think of? Given the intended total length of the trip, we would have to watch our spending. Were you comfortable using budget(ish) accommodations or traveling more moderately in general with an older parent? Any other word of advice?

Well this "elderly(ish)" parent, in body that is, in the mind have been on hold at 29 for the past few decades, did a solo, 11 month RTW last year. Met a few mother/daughter pairs around your ages, staying in hostels & guest houses. I did stay in dorm rooms on occasion but preferred a private hostel room when available.

Actually while in Havana a couple years ago met a mother & daughter, who had just completed a bike trip from Vinales to Havana (couple hundred mile trip). The mother was 75.

Cost will depend on where you travel, anywhere from $25 (Laos) to $80/100 (expensive European countries) per person

Go for it, both of you will have a blast!

1. Don't underestimate your old fogey of a parent. The person might well have more energy than you do when it comes down to brass tacks. Don't assume they can't do something, ask them if they want to.

2. Often, elder people like comfortable digs, which may mean a cheap hotel room rather than a hostel. Enjoy the luxury. Us old folks also like to unwind after a tough 8 hour day of bopping around, so leave time in the schedule for a few more rest stops than you might do(0)

3. If its 9 pm and they're pooped, let them get their sleep and go out and Party!!! But make sure to go home with them if they're uncomfortable or insecure. After all, you went on the trip WITH them, after all!

Other than these things, there is little difference between an older person and say, your lazy best friend who doesn't like to exert herself/himself. The difference is that the older person often doesn't have a choice. But...

60 is not really old, in fact, I have a great deal of energy and I'm turning 50!!! The one thing I can't do now that I did before is party until 1 am, then get up at 6 for a full day of touring. So in general, you want to hit the sack sooner, or let your parent hit the sack sooner.

The other things have to do with mental attitude and physical conditioning, and we are all different in that regard. 75 year old men and women have passed me with a laugh on the Camino de Santiago because they were better conditioned than I was, so don't underestimate your older traveller. If that person was a maid, for example, they will be better fit than most younger Americans. Ever lift a couch many times a day just to clean behind it?

Does this help?

Yes, Tortuga.
Thanks to both of you. You're both reassuring, as far as I'm concerned. At the moment my mother has, hopefully only temporarily, taken a step back. I'm not sure, though, if she is genuinely concerned of her ability (or lack thereof) to be adventurous, or she is just trying to prevent me from taking another break from my career (or arguably lack thereof, LOL). She was so excited at first, but now she says "I don't know, It's hard work, being away from home." She's never had as much wanderlust but always seemed to enjoy herself beyond expectation the few times I managed to drag or send her far and away. Otherwise this idea wouldn't have occurred to me in the first place. Just more concerns and considerations since I'm envisioning something more long-term this time.

You know your mother & of course we don't but why not drag her on the plane for a few US destinations, see how it goes.

Once out there she might enjoy seeing new places & get in travel mode, if so carry-on to Asia, if not, take her home & book yourself on the next flight to Bangkok.

Great minds must think alike, busman7. We actually do have a confirmed US trip coming up, although I'd arranged it before I was quite aware myself of where my thoughts were really running to. It will be a while before that trip and also before she can physically get away, so I'm taking off on my own for the first leg. Just not Bangkok yet - I'm saving Asia for later with the hopes she'll be accompanying me.

We travelled with our approaching-80 year old Grandpa (and kids) and feel so blessed to have been able to have him along.
As in all of life, the key is to be gracious. Think of others first, and you can't go wrong.

That said, he's a very easy person to like. Was happy sleeping on the floor in a ger or on the floor in an apartment in Hong Kong, and even sharing a bed in a motorhome for six months with one of the kids.
In a year we had only one "exchange of words" and it was a short misunderstanding rather than a full-blown argument. To be entirely honest, I had frustrations - travelling in convoy using walkie-talkies, my hubby would give me one set of directions based on his GPS and Grandpa sitting in my passenger seat would be urging me to do the opposite as per his paper map (or he would say park here and hubby would be saying park over there etc - all minor stuff)....so I kept telling myself he's almost deaf and so couldn't hear what hubby was saying and by the time I had relayed info to him at a roar above the engine noise, it was all too late.....but not issue enough to be a problem if you let it go. Be considerate and cherish the moments is what it came down to.
I'd do it again in a heartbeat.