President Hinckley taught that all need – a calling, a friend, and nurturing in the good word of God not only for salvation but for personal well-being. The application of those teachings typically defines how we should support new members of the church; however and perhaps moreover of late my ponderings have considered how this applies to the aging saint as well.
The only calling my 90 yr. old father has is as a husband and father – he cherishes that calling and gets frustrated when he can’t magnify and fulfill it to his fullest extent.
A friend – he has out lived most of them. All of his needs could be met in assisted living but it does not provide the love of friends gathered around him, to visit and support him physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Lastly he needs to be nurtured in the good word of God– he can’t get to the temple, he can infrequently get to church, yet he still yearns to be nurtured. He thrives on the visit of his home teachers, of a rich phone discussion on doctrine, on the sharing of one's sabbath oblations or daily studies.
So to me an answer for the aging amongst us lies in following the prophet, in addressing their needs as President Hinckley would. For us as a family to provide a friend, a calling, and nurturing.
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When scientists study centurians, one of the things they have in common is community. People that live around them that need them, that learn from them and where there is a lot of intersections.
It is life giving in a literal way.
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