It's Alzheimer's.
That was the doctor's diagnosis in 2006. My father had just passed passed away the year before. I was an only child, had three young kids of my own, and was working full time. I had absolutely no understanding of the disease. I thought I could manage my mom, everyone, and everything.
AN INTERVIEW WITH CLAIRE WEBSTER >
I was caught up in a cyclone of caregiving that lasted for many years. It took me a very long time to see the impact it was having on my health and the well-being of my family. In 2011 I suffered a nervous breakdown and was completely burned out.
There were warning signs that I ignored. Looking back, had I known about the type of support that was available to me, it would have had a profound impact on the quality of care that my mother received, as well as the level of stress that I experienced as a caregiver.
It has become my life's mission to help others identify and move through caregiving challeneges by sharing my knowledge, and my most honest, and insightful experiences. This is why I founded Caregiver Crosswalk.
Claire Webster is a Certified Dementia Care Consultant (PAC), Certified Professional Consultant on Aging (CPCA), as well as a conference speaker and educator in the field of caring for an individual with dementia. She is Founder and President of Caregiver Crosswalk Inc., a consulting firm that provides education and support services to help individuals navigate the journey of Alzheimer’s disease and/or dementia related illnesses.
Claire works in collaboration with McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Division of Geriatric Medicine. She is the Founder and Ambassador of the McGill Dementia Education Program and McGill Cares, a webcast series designed to support family care partners. Claire is a Member of the Government of Canada’s Ministerial Advisory Board on Dementia and is one of the McGill senior Co-Authors of Alzheimer’s Disease International’s 2021 World Report, A journey through the diagnosis of dementia, and the 2022 World Report on the interrelated topic, Life after diagnosis: Navigating treatment, care and support.
media appearances
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"Help is available for Alzheimer Caregivers"
Claire Webster shares her personal voyage in a special op-ed piece in the Montreal Gazette.