On October 1, 2023, I lost my mom, Karen. She wasn’t just my mother, she was my compass, my anchor, my constant. Losing her to the slow unraveling of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia felt like losing her twice: first in pieces, then all at once.

It was devastating to watch her slip away, word by word, until conversations became glances, and glances became guesses. Even harder was watching the world slowly step back from her, as if her fading memory somehow made her invisible. But I couldn’t step back. I stepped in.

I spent late night hours every week searching Google for resources and information, many of which felt impersonal and all of it overwhelming. Then add in the doctor appointments, my day job, and the rest of life’s responsibilities—it was a lot to manage…for years.

Becoming her caregiver meant grieving while still showing up, holding her hand while trying to hold myself together. We talked, while she still could, about finances and what she wanted when she couldn’t tell me anymore. These conversations weren’t morbid - surprisingly. They gave her dignity and me direction, when everything else felt like fog.

Cognitive decline is not a sprint. It’s a long, winding road that will ask everything of you. And while you’re doing everything for someone else, you still have to care for yourself. I learned that the hard way, and now I want to make it easier for you. Because when we prepare early, we get space for something else: joy.

At Glya Health our mission is to make your journey as easy as possible, to help you care with clarity and confidence.

If you’re here, it means you’re walking your own version of this journey. I want you to know you don’t have to do it alone.

Sending you hugs and strength,
Kate
Founder, Glya Health