Nobody understands just how emotionally, mentally and physically draining it is to care for a loved one with Alzheimer's, Dementia or other long-term illnesses, until they are faced with that devastating task.

Dealing with my father's progressing dementia, and helping my mother and sister care for him, has been the most difficult thing I've ever had to do. Dementia has been called the longest and saddest goodbye, and I can attest to how painful it is to watch someone you love slowly disappear.

It is also incredibly overwhelming.

Bank accounts. Pensions. Doctor's Appointments. Medication logs. Behavior Trackers. Expenses. Power of attorney paperwork. Phone numbers for in-home support services. Contact information for potential assisted living facilities.

Taking responsibility for a parent, grandparent or other loved one's medical, financial, and daily care needs feels like a full-time job.

All-in-One Planner

Trying to keep track of all the logistical details of my dad's care started keeping me up all night, and led to the creation of the Caregiver's Organizer and Journal: An all-in-one, simple resource for keeping track of all the logistical details of your loved ones’ care, while also being a source of comfort.

The Caregiver’s Organizer and Journal is a user-friendly resource that brings peace of mind and a sense of control amidst the chaos of caregiving.

This thoughtfully crafted journal is more than just a planner—it's a lifeline. It provides a structured yet flexible space to track daily care routines, behaviors, financial information, medical appointments, medication schedules and much more, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

Comforting Journal

While it was important for me to create a resource to streamline, simplify, and synthesize the logistics related to the care of a loved one, I didn't want this resource to feel cold or clinical. I wanted it to reflect that its user was someone caring for someone that they love.

This journal has not only become a place for me to synthesize and simplify my dad's care, but also a source of comfort. I regularly fill in the Old Memories pages with memories I once shared with my dad that now only I remember.

Having the journal also reminds me to take in the good moments I have with my dad, so I can fill in those New Memories pages. For example, while at the park a few weeks ago, my dad got on the swings and started laughing like a little kid as he swung through the air. I immediately thought to myself, I need to hold on to this moment of my dad smiling in the sunshine, happy and free. I took a picture, so I could put it on one of the New Memories pages.

The inspirational quotations spread throughout are not only platitudes. The quotation my Angelita Lim, "I saw you were perfect and so I loved you. Then I saw you were not perfect, and loved you even more," is so profound in its truth and simplicity every time I see the words written out.

The Caregiver's Organizer & Journal has been a passion project, therapy, and ultimately a source of joy for me. Holding on to each copy, I've realized this journal is a physical manifestation of my love for my father. It's the result of all the ways I love him that are just impossible to put into words.

I've been so incredibly gratified to receive messages from people telling me how helpful they've found the journal, and moreover, how filling out the memory pages with their families has given them some comfort.

That feeling of joy I get from such beautiful feedback is now interwoven with my deep respect and love I have for my dad, Forrest Shute. The best father a girl could ever have.