When You Become Your Parent's Caregiver
Manage episode 291783737 series 2903971
Becoming a caregiver to a loved one who can no longer care for themselves is HARD. It is hard on resources, relationships, and our own well being. As a family caregiver, we need to grieve what was, plan for what could be, and communicate with all the support members we can. AND, that is only the start of what this honorable and difficult role entails. Joining us to navigate this difficult and often stressful conversation is Tracey Brown of Amazing Place Houston.
About Tracey:
Tracey Brown has served as Executive Director of Amazing Place, a faith based non-profit organization focusing on empowering lives disrupted by dementia for the past fifteen years. During her tenure she has led the organization through a $7 million campaign, Building for Generations, which enabled the organization to build their state of the art Day Program specifically designed for adults with mild to moderate dementia; engineered a name change from The Seniors Place to Amazing Place; and encouraged the organization’s staff to expand programs and services for those with dementia, their caregiving families and the community resulting in the development of their Connections Program. Amazing Place is in the midst of their second campaign – the $15 million Amazing Together Campaign, which will allow the organization to expand to a second location in the West Houston/Katy area.
Tracey grew up in Chicago and Houston and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. Sixteen years ago, she and her husband, Frank, returned to Houston. She joined Amazing Place after a career in advertising and publishing and many years in non-profit volunteer leadership. Her passion for supporting adults with dementia and their families comes from her own family experience – her maternal grandmother suffered for many years with the disease and she watched her highly successful and energetic grandfather endure tremendous stress as her primary caregiver, eventually suffering a fatal heart attack. She and Frank have five children, aged 25 to 41, in their blended family. Six years ago, Tracey lost her father and her mother (now 90) moved into their home, just as her youngest son finished his freshman year in college and returned home for the summer. Four years ago, her mother was diagnosed with dementia and multiple myeloma. As a family they are cherishing each day and learning the precious value and wonderful blessings of intergenerational living.
Resources:
National Alliance for Caregiving
Top Podcasts on Family Caregiving
Book on Navigating Sibling Relationships: They’re Your Parents, Too!
A special thanks to our team:
Tracy Lehman, Host & Executive Producer
Os Galindo, Senior Producer & Engineer
Yue Nakayama, Audio Engineer
Jacel Dickson, Editor & Graphic Designer
Administrators: Mary Elizabeth Hand and Audrey Omenson
with music by Jim Roman
Thanks for listening!
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