Today we wrap up our walk through Alice Kalso’s excellent book, Elder Care SOS: Facing Hard Choices with Hope.

I trust it has helped you think through questions you may need to address concerning your aging parents. Perhaps you have sensed a new urgency about your loved one’s future. Or maybe you have begun to think about your own life in a new way. What might you need to do to prepare for the transitions that will face you down the road?

We will explore Part Three, Live the Last Chapter. It is a call to give our aging parents the things they most need as they move toward their last days. That includes helping them prepare for the end of life and celebrating their legacy. Kalso reminds us that in our caring for our loved one we should not neglect caring for ourselves. Even then, the process will not be easy. But be assured, we can count on God to walk through it all with us.

Our parents, the people who birthed us and raised us, poured themselves into us. Now it is our chance to pour into them.

We do that by listening to them. Listening can be hard work, but it bestows honor on our elders. Some families experienced strained relationships which are still unresolved. Now is the time to take care of this. As our loved one faces death they may need to ask forgiveness for their part in the broken relationship.  And we may need to ask our parent’s forgiveness. The author would say, “Let God make up the difference. Let him help you as you work through any barriers that stand between you and your parent. Help your loved one find peace with God and others so that regrets do not weigh them down.”

It will be important for your loved one to make their end of life wishes known.

And  it will be up you to do all you can to ensure their wishes are carried out. Kalso deals with this in chapter 11, Prepare for the End of Life.

She also encourages adult children to honor their parents’ legacy with thank you notes and a legacy letter. As she does throughout the book, Kalso gives great rationale and examples to help you know the why and the how of these notes and letters.

All of this and appendices that include several pieces of Kalso’s pertinent writing about the subject which round out this book. You will also find a number of books and websites for the reader’s further study.

Kalso ends chapter 11, Preparing for the End of Life, with a poignant paragraph that highlights our part in helping our parents navigate end of life transition.

This tender, sacred role we play in the lives of our loved ones allows them to experience the presence of God.

She writes:

Preparing for the end of life helps us see our parent’s life in perspective. Our job is to listen to their wishes and work on granting them. We also work on forgiveness and give them opportunities to give thanks and be thankful. These tasks are important. And when we do them, we’re imparting love in great measure. And when we place their lives in the hands of a loving God, we honor our parents in the best sense of the word.¹

Are you watching your parents, siblings, spouse, or friends move into the season of transitions as they age? Has our discussion of Alice Kalso’s book² helped you feel more confident that this is a season you are willing to walk through with them? Would you like to share an insight or an experience with your reader friends? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Trusting the Lord with you through the hard stuff,
Ginger

¹Kalso, Alice. Eldercare SOS: Facing Hard Choices with Hope (p. 150). Elk Lake Publishing, Inc/. Kindle Edition.

²You can purchase Eldercare SOS:Facing Hard Choices with Hope here.