Welcome to the club. Whether you want to be here or not.

So, welcome to the club. If you are caring for a loved one with dementia, you are part of our exclusive group.

So exclusive that you probably didn't know about membership until you were in it.

The club no one ever wants to be in.

The club you didn't realize you signed up for.

But, you're here, so welcome.

You are about to embark on a rocky ride. It may be the hardest chapter of your life. It may drain you physically, mentally, emotionally. (Who am I kidding, not may, it will.) Please know you're not alone. No matter how isolated you feel at times, no matter the heartbreak you feel, please know that in this world...you are not alone.

According the Center for Disease Control, "Each year, more than 16 million Americans provide more than 17 billion hours of unpaid care for family and friends with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. In 2019, these caregivers will provide an estimated 18.5 billion hours of care." That's you. That's me. We're part of this group. That's a lot of people and a lot of time out of our lives to care for a loved one in a way many of us were never trained for.

There is a community out there for you that will understand you.

If you're just starting on this journey, I hope you'll look at my resources page to help you navigate this journey. I hope you'll find helpful ideas in my blog posts and also, I hope you can laugh a little. Dementia is a cruel disease. It's also a disease that challenges us to be empathetic, patient, creative, and it makes us discover strengths about ourselves we never knew existed. It will change you personally and professionally. It will test you. It will hopefully give you glimpses into your loved one’s past to help you put some pieces together. For many of you it will take your already amazing selves and put you through a boot camp that will show you an unconditional love you didn’t know existed.

I hope you find the positive, the fun, the funny, and the love on this journey. And yes, it’s OK to curse, scream, cry, meltdown, and even laugh along the way. (Yeah, it sounds strange at first but you will have to laugh. And you are encouraged to savor those magical, hilarious, snort-out-loud moments.)