"We help them find hope . . . dealing with feelings of anger and frustration and fear about what may lie ahead for them. Spirituality with the aging goes far beyond religious affiliation. Many people think of spirituality as religious membership, but it can be a very private part of their inner soul. It's often understood as a deeper understanding of their life — trying to make sense of it all." Religious affiliation isn't synonymous with spirituality for many, she said.

"All of us are spiritual beings, created with mind, body and spirit and a soul, with places within us that need to be touched that are very important to holistic health and well-being. As much as we treat the physical side of aging, we need to treat spiritual and emotional sides. They all contribute to being a healthy, aging adult."

Dennis Kelsch served as a priest for nearly three decades and now works in ministry to older adults with Catholic Community Services. At age 62, he's not only seen much of aging in his clients and former parishioners, he's now experiencing it himself. He has no plans to retire and will keep working "as long as I physically can. I didn't come away from the priesthood with a pocket full of money."

But he's working with his own peer group and age group now, and, looking back at his own life, he does "think more about spirituality. You have a whole life of experience behind you to evaluate, and spirituality just keeps coming up." He sees spirituality as prayer and quiet reflection on what's important and one's life.

Having worked in hospital ministry, he was rarely rebuffed by patients — many of them older people. "In hospitals there are no distractions for the most part and you have a chance to think about it. If they have been faithful in their lives, they tend to revert back to that and what it means."

He's watched his parents — modest farmers — exhibit signs of deeper spiritual practices since they retired. When he goes home to visit, "they have rosaries next to their easy chairs and a prayer book. . . . Dad became quite involved with the parish, helped build a new church, a lot of stuff with the parish. Mom not as much, though faith was really important to her."

Some churches, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, actively seek out older people to work as volunteers and missionaries because they value the wisdom and insight such people have to offer.

David Wade, manager of pre-field services for the LDS Church's Missionary Department, said more than 4,000 missionaries age 50 and older were called to full-time missionary service by the church in 2005 — 1,824 married couples and 363 single women. That's an increase from 2004, and the boost is "attributed to those serving two, three and even four missions."