AGING PARENTS

My 84 year-old father is in the nursing unit at the retirement community where my parents live. He has congrestive heart failure which I knew nothing about until my uncle had the same thing. chf is caused by a build-up of fluid in the heart chamber. Consequently it places pressure on the heart, causing reduced oxygen to the brain and any number of problems because of that. In my uncle's case he remained alert and interested in things until he died after a few years with the disease. In my dad's case it has left him confused, which is distressing to all of us but especially to my mother, also 84, who is with him daily. My sister and I are doing the best we can to be of help but we both live at a distance and so our visits are infrequent. I talk to my dad regularly and I always end my phone calls by saying "I love you," because I do, and you never know when that will be the last conversation you have. Guide us waking and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep we may rest in peace. - The Book of Common Prayer