“The Heart of Caring in the Age of Forgetting is a meaningful contribution to the fields of caregiving, healthcare ethics, and compassion research—and a profoundly comforting companion for anyone walking beside another through vulnerability and change.”
— Robert Cusick,
Director Of Compassion Education (Ccare) at Stanford University
The Heart of Caring in the Age of Forgetting offers an intimate look into Alzheimer’s caregiving, blending medical insight with compassionate understanding.
When my mother, Joan, began to forget, I didn’t know what to do.
Despite decades of medical experience, I wasn’t prepared for the relentless uncertainty and difficult decisions that come with Alzheimer’s. My mother’s fierce resistance to losing her independence made it hard for me to know how to help her while taking away her freedom.
Finding the right care took four years, five moves, and two painful evictions.
Eventually, I entered my mother’s world, accepted her unconditionally, and understood the needs she could no longer express with words. I recognized her even when she could no longer recognize me.
I became her lighthouse—guiding her through the perilous journey.
That journey inspired the CARE Compass—a framework grounded in Compassion, Awareness, Resilience, and Engagement for navigating the uncertainties of caregiving.
The Heart of Caring tells a story of memory and loss, but also of what endures: human connection, love, and the courage to care.
I invite you to explore this website to learn more about The Heart of Caring, discover the CARE Compass, find insights on caregiving, and resources to support your journey. Stop by Joan’s art page to reflect, chuckle, and be inspired.
Whether you are caring for someone you love, supporting a caregiver, or simply seeking a deeper understanding of what it means to care, I hope you discover something here that speaks to you.
Where there is no cure, there must be care