On this episode of The Power of Love Show we welcome special guest, Jessica C. Guthrie.
Jessica is an only child and the full-time caregiver of her mother, Constance Guthrie, who is living with Alzheimer’s Disease. Jessica, a single millennial, started caring for her mother at 26 years old and has navigated the journey alone all the while balancing the building of her career, caring for herself and preserving her mother’s dignity and legacy. For the first four years of this disease Jessica was a long-distance caregiver traveling from her mom in Virginia to her home & job in Dallas, Texas and in 2019 she made the difficult, yet necessary decision to move back home to fully support her mother as she began to decline in her disease.
Jessica created “When Career & Caregiving Collide” to openly share the realities of what it meant to be a young person starting in their career all the while being thrust into the responsibility of caring for a parent...and how to balance both. When she started her journey she didn’t see leaders, groups, organizations of people that looked like her nor were they sharing a similar experience so she desired to uplift her story so many others could feel seen and affirmed on this unique journey too. Jessica is now a senior executive non-profit leader and grew her career while caring intensely for her mom. It’s possible to have both a thriving career and thrive as a caregiver.
Her mother experienced a significant decline in her disease at the beginning of 2022–no longer ambulatory, fully incontinent, weight loss, diminished speech and unable to feed herself. On May 16, 2022 Jessica enrolled her mother into Home Hospice with the strong belief she would pass within six months or less. Today, May 31, 2023 Jessica’s mother is still living, she has graduated from hospice and is thriving in the current stage she is in.
Jessica attributes her mother’s strength and energy to fight to the love and care between the two of them. She intentionally slowed down, got super proximate and present with her mom, and prioritized all the moments. Jessica is grateful for what she calls “magic time” and makes the most of each day!
When she’s not at home singing with her mom, meal prepping or transporting her mom using the hoyer lift you can find Jessica at the local YMCA teaching a dance fitness class.
Learn More About Jessica:
Website: JessicaCGuthrie.com
Instagram: @CareerCaregivingCollide
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