I’LL BE RIGHT THERE

If you’re a caregiver, you are a blessing to your loved ones. You take on huge challenges and arrive at solutions as best you can. There can be incredible joy in caring for a loved one and spending quality time together. There can also be a huge amount of stress. Caring for my parents since 2016, going through my dad passing away from complications related to Alzheimer’s Disease in 2021, I have learned so much. My passion for writing and being organized helped me respond to the requests I get all the time (“I just need the list of what to do and when!”) I’ll Be Right There: A Guidebook for Adults Caring for their Aging Parents was born. IBRT is a 352 page encyclopedia of practical, “no one tells you this stuff” information on how-to-handle-any-situation along with fill-in-the-blank worksheets and charts, with pages to store medical life-saving, household, and finance information. You’ll have a place to keep your loved one’s caregiving wishes and preferences. Fill in the pages you need to ensure you have all pertinent information when you need it. The content and worksheets were designed from information collected from caregivers like me, like you, who were called into service by their families. The mission is to collect information and resources before an emergency, before someone can no longer communicate with you due to cognitive or physical challenges.

For your own peace of mind, these IBRT worksheets are what you fill out for your own children and spouse so they have all your wishes and information in one place. You will be at ease knowing that someone will take care of your animals and plants, make sure the bills are paid, bring you the blanket you love, play music that touches your soul, keep away the annoying neighbor, etc. when you can’t do it for yourself. Your loved ones will have less stress (and fewer arguments with each other) knowing that they are following your wishes. Leave the completed book with a trusted confidant or put it in a safe deposit box – just so long as your loved ones know where to find it when needed.

COMING JANUARY 2024:  Join me, Fern Pessin, for a 12 week course to learn caregiving tips and tools for everything you need to know from assessing your loved one through post-funeral. If you’re interested in more information, email me at fern@illberightthere.com.

BUY “I’ll Be Right There” on Amazon >>

When it comes to bringing up the necessary (but awkward and uncomfortable) topics, the way you approach it, rather than what you say, can make the difference between confrontation or collaboration. For people that don’t need all the data collected in the I’ll Be Right There guidebook, this 104 page expanded excerpt, When Can We Talk? A Guidebook for Caregivers Holding Discussions Around Difficult Topics, will walk you through approachable ways to bring up topics like:

• taking away the car or keys
• moving someone to a new, safer, home
• determining end-of-life wishes from illness to death
• bringing in help at home
• communicating with doctors, lawyers, financial advisors and other professionals about loved ones

MEDIATION available. If your family is in conflict on what to do next, which path to take, I offer zoom and conference call mediation discussions with all parties until a mutually agreed upon decision is achieved. Contact fern@illberightthere.com for information and a thirty minute free consultation.

BUY “When Can We Talk” on Amazon >>

The selflessness of caregiving takes so much from us. I would love to help you shift your focus back toward yourself, and get you on a track toward creating your optimal life. When caregiving is coming to an end, and you arrive at the emotional point where you are ready to shift the time and energy you spent dedicated to caring for someone else back to yourself, it’s time to take a Caregiver Gap Year. Take 12 Months to Grow, Aspire and Explore All Possibilities After Caregiving Ends. This twelve module workbook will guide you through creating a life where you’re waking up with everything and everyone you want and need around you, doing things that bring you joy and uplift you, fulfilling everything you’ve ever dreamed for yourself! 

COMING January 2024:  Caregiver Gap Year 12 week course. Go through the modules with me and a small support group via weekly zoom meetings and lessons. Fern@illberightthere.com to learn more about the program. 

If you’re interested in more information on any program or to purchase the books above, email us at fern@illberightthere.com, complete the form here: https://www.illberightthere.com/contact/, or visit your favorite online bookseller.