One Caregiver's Journey

(Paperback)

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If you are a caregiver or about to become a caregiver, One Caregiver's Journey is a must read. This personal memoir will make you laugh or tug at your heart as the author shares her experiences about providing 24/7 care in her home to her mother for 9 1/2 years until her mother's death at age 102. The book is an easy read, honestly written and provides suggestions and information that can be utilized by all caregivers. This book is based on personal experiences and not medical findings and candidly details the daily unexpected health or age-related challenges caregivers face. Because the book was written over a period of 9 1/2 years, the reader will experience first-hand the various stages, changes, challenges and complexities of being a full-time caregiver. The author shares insights, practical advice and experiences how her caregiving routine evolved over time as her mother aged. The book is a caregiving blueprint that empowers readers to realize that the challenges we face are not insurmountable. The book extends out six months after her mother's death and proves there is life after caregiving. The author was able to recognize how special the time she spent caring for her mother was, how much she learned about herself, her strengths and how her life has been enriched.

Author Bio

Eleanor (Ellie) Gaccetta, MBA is an author, speaker and home cook/baker. Formally she was a legislative and policy analyst for the State of Colorado, the City and County of Broomfield, and after leaving government services she was a private contractor. Ellie's almost forty-year career ceased when her mother fell and broke her hip at age 92.

Thus began Ellie's own journey of being a 24/7 sole caregiver for her mother for nearly the next ten years. During that time her book One Caregiver's Journey was born with personal memories, insight and advice for caregivers. The book is a snapshot into the realities of the stages, changes and challenges of caregiving. During the six months after her mother's passing at age 102, Ellie journaled about her reintegration back into the world. "The biggest challenge to reintegration after 10 years of isolation has been to not be an outsider looking into the world that passed you by."

Ellie's next book, Generations of Food, wasn't planned. It was a labor of love that consumed her time during the pandemic lockdown. it incorporates recipes, stories, and anecdotes from six generations of her Italian family. It is a book for the kitchen novice and seasoned cook and baker.

today she lives in a suburb west of Denver where she enjoys spending time with family, cooking, baking and gardening. During the pandemic she committed to remaining healthy, getting in shape and staying fit. After the pandemic she still walks 2-3 miles daily and has become a gym shark.