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April 3rd, 2024

Hi, Reader,
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Happy April! For those of us in the northern hemisphere, signs of spring are beginning to appear (thank goodness!) and for those in the southern hemisphere, I imagine that fall is approaching! What month would be considered the dog days of summer in Australia and New Zealand? I would love to know!
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I haven't written about caregiving for a while but that was actually the subject of my blog when I began it in 2008. At that time I was caregiving for my father who had dementia. He lived with me for about 4 years.
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Recently I partnered with A Place for Mom to help spread awareness of their free service for caregivers to help find senior living solutions. They also offer support for caregivers at every step of their journey. What sets this service apart is the provision of a personal, dedicated advisor who remains with families throughout their journey, offering options and recommendations that align with their care, lifestyle, and budget criteria.
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And if you're confused about the Veteran Aid and Attendance Benefit, their advisors can help you with that too! Accessing veteran's benefits seems to be difficult for many people. It's all so confusing! In the caregivers group that I moderate on Facebook, we get a lot of questions on how to do that.
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So if you're a caregiver, I hope that you'll check out my article here and that you'll take advantage of A Place for Mom's services. I wish I had known about them when I was caregiving!

​​That's it for now!
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XoXo Shelley
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In case you forgot why you joined our community:
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I’m well into midlife and maybe, just like you, I’ve worn a lot of different hats in my lifetime! I worked as a nurse for over 30 years, raised my two children who I’m very proud of, and launched a second career as a blogger and social media strategist in my fifties. For a time, I was also a caregiver to my father and a long-distance caregiver to my mother.

But also, maybe just like you, there was a time in my life when I had no sense of purpose. When I worked as a nurse, I knew what my purpose was. When I stayed home to care for my kids, I knew what my purpose was. And when I cared for my parents, I also knew my purpose… for a little while.

But somewhere in midlife, I lost that. The kids grew up. They didn’t seem to need me much at all. That threw me into a crisis (but that’s a whole other crazy story). My job as a nurse was not fulfilling anymore and I couldn’t figure out what to do next!

I know what it is like to feel empty, insignificant, unloved and unfulfilled. I know what it is like to feel terrified to end up alone, lonely and financially stressed as I enter my senior years.

But I also knew there was a way out of all of that. There were new people to meet, significant relationships to establish, dreams to pursue, perhaps new businesses to begin! I’ve learned how to move past those fears in order to reach some of my biggest, scariest goals, like starting my own business, speaking on stage, becoming a brand ambassador for O, The Oprah Magazine and planning and hosting a 3-day social media conference.

And if you’re hoping to find a way out of that loss of purpose, as well, then I just want to let you know that you are in the right place and that I’m truly excited and grateful that you’re here.

It's never too late to create a life you love!

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P.O. Box 3901 Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815
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