Author was introduced to caregiving as a young girl when her dad suffered a debilitating stroke and they cared for him at home for ten years. As an adult and caregiver for her mother and brother, she dealt with numerous hospitals, nursing homes, residential care homes, independent and assisted living facilities, home health agencies and hospice. Author has a degree in sociology and an extensive background in pharmaceutical sales and real estate. Author divides her time between Texas and southeast Missouri where she writes a weekly column for her hometown newspaper and administers the annual scholarship set up in memory of her mother.