Getting old is not for sissies

This was the line that my father would give me as he got older. He was still attempting to do those same physical activities that were easy or at least doable when he was younger, but now he was paying the price. Joint pain and lung disease were catching up to him and reminding him of his ultimate frailty and mortality. But he gave it his best shot at keeping the stiff upper lip. His version of aging gracefully was simply to keep his complaints to himself and to never, ever ask for help.

I think we are all generally aware of the growing trend of our aging population. Certainly those of us who are or have cared for aging parents and are approaching the age when we can imagine the need to be cared for ourselves are keenly aware of this fact and the issues that are raised. For this reason I am particularly interested in twentieth anniversary and General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life and the workshop entitled “Aging and Disability” slated next week in Rome. Blessed Pope John Paul II established the Pontifical Academy of Life for the purpose of exploring and studying all phases of human life and how we maintain the dignity that is ours that is a gift from our Creator.

This workshop on aging and disability is open to the public and caters particularly to researchers, scholars, health care workers and students who desire to deepen their understanding of this topic. Msgr. Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, President of the Academy explained, “[Aging and] disabilities often alter the lives and autonomy of the human person, increasing the challenges for the individual, their family and all of society. The Church is motivated to contribute a renewed reflection on this reality in order to provide a more noteworthy and leading support.” Some of the topics and problems being considered include: the social and cultural problem of disabled elderly persons, the ethical principles to be adopted by health care workers and institutions, the spirituality of the elderly disabled persons and the particular attention that the Church gives to the elderly who are sick and disabled.

It is vital that we, the Church, make an honest assessment of how we are currently caring for our elderly and infirm and in what ways we are meeting or failing to meet their physical, emotional and spiritual needs. The answers are not always as simple as they may seem and systems may need to be adjusted or put in place to ensure that this population is not neglected but rather receives the full embrace of all the love and compassion that the Church has to give. Let us pray for an understanding that our elderly are never a burden to us but rather a very great gift from God that we may cherish and oh, so fondly, care for. For there we will find an encounter with Christ and the fullness of our humanity.