HEART FIRST. ALWAYS.

Hi again! I'm Shana, owner of this site and author of the guide The Caring Giver: Beyond the Checkbox. I recently realized that I had been in the role of caregiver far before I was ever paid for it. Prior to being old enough to help my parents and grandparents, I remember tucking my dolls and stuffed animals into their own comfy blanket on the floor, just ahead of me climbing into bed myself. I liked to do it and even felt neglectful if I didn't.

In the early 90s I got married and stayed home with our son until I felt ready to head back into the working world. Having always loved helping others, I landed a position as a companion caregiver for seniors at a respected caregiving agency. That first year I was graciously humbled by upper management telling me that they greatly admired how I handled the client/caregiver relationship, not just the physical tasks that were required. Full disclosure, my supervisor asked if she could "clone" me.

Feeling very grateful for receiving such a compliment, I thought hard about this and wondered what I was doing that others appreciated so much?

I hadn't had any "official" caregiver training at that point, however I did hold in my heart lots of treasured time helping and being with my grandparents, and I naturally thrived in those moments. So maybe that was the answer — maybe as a caregiver I simply had certain things I felt and did naturally, that others didn't or couldn't. I wasn't sure.

That wondering feeling never left me.

Ultimately, after having many years of client relationships, situations and experiences under my belt, I decided to self-analyze and see what I could uncover about how I naturally approached caregiving. Again, what was I doing that could possibly help others — especially newer caregivers with very limited training in client emotional care?

Upon searching, I discovered there were multiple actions, reactions and bonding methods I was automatically using during caregiving shifts that other caregivers may not be aware of. That's when I made the concrete decision to compile, in digital guide format, samples of actual client conversations and real-life scenarios that had always stood out to me. I chose this format because I believe having authentic examples to explore and refer back to is the best way to teach and learn these techniques.

Additionally, I went one step further by aiming this guide at caregivers with clients who are (like so many seniors) in cognitive decline but have NOT been formally diagnosed with dementia.

My reason for this is there is a lot of information readily available on how to successfully bond and properly care for someone with dementia, but not much in the more "grey area" of MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment).

So, whether you're professionally caring for a client through an agency, or a loved one at home, and you're struggling with personal connection, my goal is simple: to give you specific tools that can help you build a more positive, trusting and emotional bond with your client. And to instill into that new connection the self-confidence of knowing you can experience success in this beautiful and challenging field that is senior caregiving!