Caregivers...

YOU are just as important as the person you care for

It’s You AND Me, (YAM) is a non-profit organization created to provide unique support services to African American family caregivers caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other dementia related illnesses.  My thirty-plus years as a family and professional caregiver have fueled my passion to come to the aide of those who take on this rewarding, challenging and sometimes thankless responsibility. 

My own personal training by fire came as a youth by helping family elders take care of those within our family and community.  Years later, taking care of two aunts with dementia gave me great training, passion, and experience which led to the opening of my personal care home, Magnolia Lane.  It is specifically for elderly women with dementia and has been in operation for 13 years.  This gave me even greater insight into the physical, emotional and mental challenges of our family caregivers. 

As a result, in 2016 I created and facilitated a caregiver workshop entitled, “I’m Still Here”, presented to faith-based and community organizations. It has been replaced by our current monthly self-help gathering, “Waiting to Exhale” to effectively serve even more caregivers who need the type of innovative support we provide.

Our desire is for caregivers to alleviate or lessen the stress, guilt, denial, and burnout that often accompanies their caregiving responsibilities.