Caregivers are fierce advocates, mighty warriors and enlightened survivors,
heroes creating a better world
as they care for their loved ones.

Regardless of who you are caring for,
although this site focuses on caring for those with memory loss,
this site is meant to inspire and reassure
your inner spirit!💗

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The thing about caregiving is….
because dementia is so unforgiving….

…when caregivers are climbing the steep caregiver learning curve,
swamped by all that is required of them to observe and learn,
they quickly become desperate and feel the need…
for support, for someone to talk to,
for reassurance that they are doing OK, and
to make connections while caring for their loved one.

That is when caregivers realize
that support and inspiration from other caregivers
might be helpful.

It is truly unbelievable how fast that happens.

And so, here we are…
ready to turn fears into courage.
And the good news is
a world of caregivers are here to help.💖

As you, as a caregiver, browse this site you will see
how different the caregiver roles can be,
how unique the various dementia diseases are,
and that no one size fits all.
“If you have met one person with dementia,
you only know one person with dementia.”
Each person with dementia has different personal, social and emotional needs alongside their unique medical needs

Caregiving can be defined as activity of regularly looking after another person, one who needs care for whatever reason. Caregiving may include help with one or more activities important for social and health in daily living, including transportation, monitoring health needs, bathing and dressing, paying bills, shopping and providing transportation. (See Caregiver Resume)

Courage can be defined as “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, to take action in spite of danger, pain, without fear.” (See Becoming a Confident Caregiver)

The shift to activate courage happens when we apply what we learn from others. Being courageous means

– being able to take action
– being able to think things through
– being able to examine the risks and rewards
– being able to act in spite of the fear that sets in

💗 The purpose of this website is to help those who have found themselves in the caregiver role. We hope to reduce fears and to help caregivers find courage to take action, to carry on. Written from a caregiver perspective, this site is focused on caregivers, care partners specifically responsible for the care of another with memory loss.💖Like the elephant Circle of Care, we care for one another. My wish is that you discover connection and reassurance here!💗

“I am drawn to Judith’s telling of her caregiving experiences because of the touching sincerity of her words….!”
Barbara G. Matthews, caregiver, blogger, author of “What to do About Mama?”

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WILL YOU BE READY FOR CAREGIVING for one with memory loss, with Alzheimer’s.

• Signs of Dementia can help you recognize behaviours.
• Imagine You Have Dementia might help you understand.
• ‘Be in the room’ during a Test for Alzheimer’s

RESOURCES THAT SUPPORT CAREGIVERS

• support and assistance Alzheimer Society links
• resources to add to your caregiver toolbox – updated HELP LINES
• knowledge about various aspects of the diseases
• tips from caregivers – while tips are on every page, these are specific topics
• experiences to learn from -see Guest Authors
• activities to keep the mind alert
• *NEW* PDF brochure ‘Shared Experiences‘ from Alzheimer Society
• Try listening to music!! or find sing-along music!!!

Discover innumerable resources and information on these pages to bring you relief
Review top menu topics or use the search field on the right side bar
Email me if you don’t find what you are looking for….we can search together.

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Grab hold of my hand, so you
will know you are not alone.

HELLO and WELCOME

I’m so glad you are here!
I think of this site as a community for caregivers, a place where, as we share and learn, we become stronger and more courageous through understanding.

I am joined here by guest author/caregivers. We invite you to walk with us and learn as we pass on wisdom
from those who taught us, who supported us, who befriended us, and who cared for us
on our 10-year journey. 💝 We are here for you.

…and then I became a caregiver.

My Love was officially diagnosed at age 71 with Alzheimer’s disease, and soon after vascular dementia and anxiety. ..he already had been diagnosed with COPD. Plus, he had senior ailments along the way. Unfamiliar and unprepared for the life ahead, I was fortunate to catch up and learn from other caregivers, eventually finding the growing number of helpful websites, videos and books needed during our journey.

…and then this blogsite, Accepting the Gift of Caregiving.com, was born.

I wanted to help other caregivers as I had been helped. I was overjoyed that I could take advantage of my life passion to share experiences that might help someone else. And so I wrote…this site and my caregiver books, in a series of the same name, evolved.

I was ecstatic that I had a way to ‘pay back’ the many unknown others who cared, counseled, supported and comforted me...thus I have invited guest authors to join with me here, and together we share our experiences while offering many references for you to read and view. We hope you will find inspiration for your days ahead.

“…making our way from fear to courage through understanding.”
When I was reaching for inner strength to be able to care for my loved one in the years after his diagnosis, I realized my emotions of dread, anxiety and fear, were blocking me from being as helpful as I wanted to be. I concluded my desperation came from lack of understanding of my caregiver role.

After sharing our stories and reading experiences from other caregivers, I detected my inadequacies diminished – I watched as my confidence and competence grew.

Thus, this site to help others feel the same. May you find confidence and courage here.💗

And if you should chance upon ...
…an ‘aha moment,’ if you should be inspired to take an action, if you should feel fortunate to have identified others who have been through what you are going through, or if you are relieved to have found a site where you can locate resources,
and where you can email to ask questions… then…..

…pleases share this site…
…with another caregiver, with friends of caregivers, or someone who might feel more comfortable if they understood how memory loss impacts caregivers, families and friends. Remember, the information here is offered to assist those who seek solutions.…help them find it.🌞

May the insights you find here add to your understanding and give you confidence to use your courage. You are not alone. 🌷 Thank you for visiting. 🌷

Put your arms around your shoulders and squeeze…
that’s a bear hug from me.
Thank you for visiting us.

We all will go through loss – that is the cycle of life.
But we are meant to help one another through this life, 
that includes through our caregiving journey… and our grief journey.

WILL YOU HELP INSPIRE CAREGIVERS?
Do you have a caregiver tip
or a special caregiving experience to share?
Become a guest author – share your tip and/or your story.

Share our LINK

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PLEASE KNOW I have given space to Alzheimer Society and Acclaim Health on numerous pages of this site. They are not an advertiser. This is my way of being able to support them and give them recognition for all the help they have provided to so many in our communities. When you need help, reach out to them.

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*Honour the copyright © If You Wish To Copy Or Share* Thank you

A REMINDER before you go, these stories are copyrighted with all rights reserved.
If you choose to copy any words from this site, for education purposes, for your school project, for sharing with other caregivers, for inclusion in a speech, please, please
honor the rights of authors, as you wish to be honored.
THANK YOU.
Please include
… the author’s name, mine or the guest,
… the article name/title
… publication date,
… the name and link of this blog.
Again, THANK YOU.

* Courage definition from Dictionary.com

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“Caregivers Encourage One Another!” Copyright © 2019 – 2023 Judith Allen Shone

This site, “Accepting the Gift of Caregiving”,  first posted articles to help caregivers in 2017 on Blogger and transferred to WordPress in 2019.Thank you visiting.

NOTE: All illustrations for book cover, the lilacs, and the illustrations for the Caregiver Feels image are originally created by ©Tatiana Mitrushova, with license from fotolia.com. @MitrushovaArt on Etsy. The cone of the book cover original by Jiri Hera, with license from dreamstime.com

Many of the graphic images in this site are from Pexels.com and Pixabay.com. We are grateful to the creators, photographers, illustrators and artists for permission to use them.

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Consider gifting to a friend, relative, a caregiver who feels desperate..
…let them know they are not alone.

Please read the Reader Comments to discover what other readers have felt!
If you know a caregiver who could use a hug, give them the gift of understanding.
….Visit caregiver-books.com to discover more about these caregiver stories….

In LARGE print for easier reading.