Twenty years into my career as a geriatric clinical social worker counseling elders and their caregivers, my 71-year-old mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. As I began the caregiving journey, I had a hunch my feisty mother would live with this disease for a long time, and indeed she did for almost two decades.

With her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, I became even more motivated to help myself and my clients navigate the caregiving journey with as much ease as possible. It was in that spirit that I realized I had to be more mindful of how I helped my clients and myself travel this path with intentionality. Ignoring or denying how caregiving affects you can set you up for

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