In today’s episode, Jessica shares her incredible journey caring for her mom, Patti. Jessica shares how presence, mindfulness and bringing in joy helps her through the most difficult times in the caregiving process. Jessica talks about impermanence, managing her emotions as a caregiver and finding an incredible partnership in her husband, Ken. She talks about processing the concept of death and how she turned her uncertainties about death into her career.
About Jessica:
Jessica Smith is a care partner and advocate for her mother, Patti, who has been living with Alzheimer’s since 2014. By day, Jessica is the Director of Sales for Florida Realtors but recently, she was certified as a
death doula as a way to further honor her mom’s journey and prepare for what her family will inevitably face in the coming years. The guiding principles Jessica employs in caring for her Mom stem from her work as a meditation teacher and as a student of Eastern philosophies: compassion, presence,
impermanence, and going with the flow. These tactics help her to show up for her mom consistently while always maintaining an air of peace.
While they don’t live in the same state (Jessica lives in North Carolina and Patti is in Florida), they see each other very frequently and for long stretches at a time. They also speak daily and Jessica helps her
step-dad make the difficult day to day decisions that he’s faced with. Together with Jessica’s husband, Ken, the three of them serve as Patti’s constellation of support. To remain grounded, Jessica enjoys spending as much time outdoors as possible whether it’s working in the garden with her husband, hiking, or taking daily walks. She is also a nutrition and health enthusiast,
animal lover, dancer, and avid traveler. Both she and Patti are HUGE music lovers as well, which serves as an aide in Patti’s day to day care and overall enjoyment of life.
Find Jessica on Instagram: @alzheimers_awakening
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