My Journey

From corporate leader to full-time caregiver

Before caregiving changed my life, I spent more than 20 years in corporate leadership, including a decade leading nationwide teams. I knew how to solve problems, manage crises, organize people, and keep things moving—or so I thought.

Then my mom developed vascular dementia, and my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Suddenly, I became a full-time caregiver without training, a roadmap, or any idea what I was doing. When my mother-in-law later developed Alzheimer’s disease, I found myself caring for three people I loved while learning everything the hard way.

Caregiving stretched me physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It also taught me that caregivers need more than information. They need someone who will listen without judgment, practical ideas they can use, permission to care for themselves, and occasional laughter in the middle of very hard days.