Oh, believe me, I mowed their lawn plenty of times, as well as cleaned the house, did the garden, etc while they were watching TV or drinking coffee. And I didn't get paid for it, just received a "Thanks, now can you come tomorrow to do... pls. Kay. Cya then." Saying no wasn't an option, and combining that with uni exams and my chores at home equaled no free time whatsoever. I still do their grocery shopping, and help with some little stuff, drive them if they need a car, but that's it. I needed my life back, which they had taken complete control of, all in the idea of 'We're old, you're young, so you're supposed to help us 24/7'. /end rant. Hey venting feels good.
I hope your friend changes his/her ways, try to knock some sense in them? (Easier said than done...). As for your spiritual searching, good luck with that! I've tried, and failed miserably, so hopefully you fare better than I did.