Why I Wrote This Book

I’ve worn many hats in my life—Physician Assistant, public health professional, educator, and advocate—but nothing tested me more than caring for my mother. Throughout my career, I believed my medical background would prepare me for anything. Yet, when my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I realized that no degree or training could truly prepare me for what lay ahead. The moment Alzheimer’s entered her life, my world changed forever. Suddenly, the medical expertise I had relied upon proved insufficient.

As my mother’s memory failed, I found myself navigating a landscape that was both heartbreaking and enlightening. I discovered resilience I didn’t know I possessed and learned that awareness and compassion could guide me when medicine could not.

Over time, I realized that I was learning a new kind of medicine—not one based on prescriptions or procedures, but on presence, relationship, and the courage to remain open in the face of loss. I had to shift from trying to fix problems to accepting what could not be changed. As my understanding deepened, a new framework began to emerge—what I now call the CARE Compass.

The CARE Compass became both a practical guide and an inner way of being: Compassion for myself and others; Awareness of the ever-changing realities of dementia; Resilience to sustain me through grief, uncertainty, and exhaustion; and Engagement—the willingness to remain present, connected, and responsive, even when the path ahead was unclear.

The Heart of Caring in the Age of Forgetting grew from this journey. The story is not only about losing my mother to Alzheimer’s disease; it is also about discovering a deeper understanding of love, commitment, care, and connection.

I share our story in the hope that others navigating dementia will feel less alone and perhaps discover their own inner compass for the caregiving journey. I also hope to inspire families, professionals, and communities to create more compassionate systems of support for people living with memory impairment and those who care for them.

There may be no map for the caregiving journey, but together we can learn to navigate by the heart.