The title of Ian’s book perfectly expresses the way in which he has given us a most thoughtful and perceptive introduction to a subject which must concern us all.

He does this from his long experience as a physician specialising in ‘frailty’. This term in itself reminds us that vulnerability and dependence are not the preserve of the elderly. Individual independence is an illusion.

Ian’s deep Christian faith undergirds this book, but it is never partisan or hectoring. He has a large view of healing, reminding us that it is not all about ‘curing’. Bringing wholeness can mean ‘making sense and coming to terms with our condition, improving the symptoms so that we can live with it; and even using it for a new purpose’. His approach to dying and death is similarly creative.

This is indeed a book for our time and I am sure it will both encourage and challenge all who read it.

Canon Neil Heavisides

This book wonderfully fills a gap on many bookshelves. It is born from years of experience and a deep Christian faith. The pages of this book dare to name things that are often not spoken, and Ian Donald weaves together the practical and the reflective. Whether you are someone in the later years of life, a family member or carer, or someone who is having the courage to think about what it means to grow old, this book is a treasure trove of wisdom, pertinent questions and pragmatic comment, all rooted in the bigger picture of what it means to be mortal.

The Rt Revd Rachel Treweek

Bishop of Gloucester and Anglican Bishop for HM Prisons

Dr Ian Donald is a geriatrician who brings many years of experience in working with frailty to this book. It’s a superb book. I only wish we’d had something like it when my dad lived with us. I think it will benefit both carers and those of us who are ‘getting on a bit’! It needs to be read by anyone who looks after elderly relatives, or as a preparation for our own aging and dying.

The blend of Christian teaching and thinking and the medical perspective is so helpful – and excellent.

I highly recommend it.

Sheila Appleton
RGN (Retired), Adv. Dip. Pastoral Counselling (Nottingham University), Post qualifying cert (Adlerian), BACP Registered Accredited Counsellor

The book covers an important subject in a compassionate and clear way. It is wide-ranging in terms of considering the issues affecting the fourth age, and the use of ‘real-life’ examples add validity to the subject matter as one knows that they are based on a genuine professional experience. As a clinician I have long thought that some of the care we provide for the older population is over-medicalised and has also not always been completely person-centred. This book cogently explains how more holistic approaches are far more appropriate, and that when they are underpinned by a Jesus-centred attitude and philosophy, it is possible to age well and, indeed, die well in our post-modern society.

Dr Andrew Seymour
GP and Chair of Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group

Ian has been an advocate for older people for many years; his passion has been plain to see. This book is a distillation of his knowledge and his faith, written in a style that makes the information accessible to all…

Prof. David G Smithard MD FRCP FRCSLT (Hon)
Editor, Triple Helix, Christian Medical Fellowship