Honoring Aging Parents

Moving away from parents to become independent is a major rite of passage into adulthood. Another test of maturity and character is transitioning them into dependent living. For many, this becomes a reality as parents age and become unable to care for themselves.

This situation can be frustrating and challenging for everyone. Honoring Aging Parents helps anticipate and alleviate emotional turmoil by providing real-life examples that stick in readers' minds and help understand normal responses of both caregivers and parents. Honoring Aging Parents helps eliminate feelings of anxiety and isolation due to our parents' aging by addressing the normal responses involved.

Authors Klaus Dannenberg and Bruce Black provide insights into the situation, including the mix of emotions encountered, a financial assessment, a summary of options, and prompts for tough conversations with both parents and siblings. They then discuss the transition into a caregiving role and the challenges created by dependent living-not just medical issues but the associated emotional roller coaster. Dannenberg and Black also confront tough subjects like the loss of a parent's mental faculties and preparing for the end. In hindsight, they relate the unexpected growth and contentment discovered throughout this process.

The authors approach their advice from a Christian perspective, but everyone facing the future with aging parents will find their practical suggestions helpful.