Seek God's Help Caring for Aging Loved Ones

Whitney Hopler

Between infancy and our elder years, we can buy into the illusion that we're somehow self-sufficient. Those who spend their time caring for elderly relatives and friends, however, know that no one can journey through life without the help of others.

Adult children see the once-strong hands of a parent - the same hands that cradled them as babies - now shake with age. As they hold those hands to help their mom or dad walk, they experience the reality of independence ebbing away, as it will eventually for them, too.

It's in such moments that relationships can gain a new sense of preciousness and draw people closer together and to God. But when the moments turn into much longer spans of time, stress can exhaust caregivers and depress the elderly people for whom they care.

If you're caring for an elderly family member or friend, God will help you. Here are some principles to keep in mind as a caregiver:

Adapted from Complete Guide to Caring for Aging Loved Ones, copyright 2002 by Focus on the Family. A Focus on the Family book published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Ill., www.tyndale.com, 1-800-323-9400.

Contributors to this book include: Jane Terry, director of the Focus Over Fifty ministry at Focus on the Family; Ron Blue, founder of one of largest CPA firms in the United States and author of numerous books on finances; Dr. Bill Maier, vice-president, psychologist in residence at Focus on the Family; Margaret Cottle, M.D., a palliative care physician and a clinical instructor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, Canada; and Terry Parker, a regular speaker on law issues and a senior member of the Atlanta law firm, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice.

If you're a caregiver, how are you currently helping to care for an elderly loved one? What challenges and rewards have you encountered while doing so? How has the experience helped you grow closer to God, and also to the person for whom you're caring? What encouragement would you like to offer other caregivers? Visit Crosswalk's forums to discuss this topic by clicking on the link below.

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