Caregiver Coach
Advising & Consulting
Life Mentorship

"You need to take care of yourself.”

As a caregiver you may hear this often.

Although well meaning, this advice isn’t exactly helpful and can even make you feel…worse.

You likely have lots going on things like: finding effective respite and resources, navigating a complex medical system, an unfamiliar diagnosis, encountering challenging new feelings and providing care. It’s a lot!

You need support from someone who understands and has solutions because they’ve lived it.

About

I am one of many who didn’t realize they were caregivers. I thought I was just "helping out." 

I started young: first for my grandpa, later for granny, and most recently for my mom, who was diagnosed with young onset dementia. Despite the gradual escalation of responsibilities, I never truly considered myself a caregiver until mom's young onset dementia journey began. 

As the demands of caregiving increased, I was shocked at the lack of support for caregivers and the deficiencies in the healthcare system; ‘care’ didn’t seem present at all. Limited access to effective respite, supports, and services added to the overwhelm and I was stressed to the max.

Few friends truly understood the situation or my decisions. People started to disappear, our world shrunk and we became isolated.

Feelings of guilt, grief, frustration, anger, anxiety, loss, resentment started to creep in. I had to keep going but I wasn’t ok. 

Mom’s health centre offered mindfulness based dementia care and absorbed it like a sponge. I began tweaking the tools I taught other people as a coach to applied them to caregiving. My caregiving journey and my life changed for the better. Mom improved too. 

I began Caregiver Coaching to fill a massive hole in healthcare: helping caregivers.​​ My approach is to meet CG’s where they are and work together to customize a plan, manage difficult emotions and stress and provide support and solutions along the journey. 

In 2023 I was honoured to receive an award for Caregiving Advocacy by the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence and thrilled to Co-Chair Caregivers Can a national advocacy group.

Experience

    • Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences Work Loss Productivity Study – Advisor

    • Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence – Co-Chair Caregivers CAN

    • Canadian Dementia Learning and Resource Network – Advisor

    • Dementia Connections Magazine – Advisor

    • Dr. Matthias Hoben Research Advisory Group on Quality of Life & Care (York, UOA) – Advisor

    • Providence Health Care Coordinating Care: Shared Care and Virtual Health – Advisor

    • West End Seniors Network – Founder Close to Home

    • BC Office of the Seniors Advocate – Lived Experience Expert and Advisor

    • British Columbia Law Institute & Canadian Centre for Elder Law – Advisor

    • BC Centre for Palliative Care – Advisor

    • Westside Seniors Hub – Volunteer Advisor

    • UBC Caregiving Study – Lived Experience Educator

    • UBC Patient Centered Care Activity Pharmacy – Lived Experience Educator

    • Patient and Community Partnership for Education – UBC Health Mentor

    • Family Caregivers of BC – Member

    • Alzheimer Society of BC – Leadership Group of Caregivers

    • Close to Home – Mitigating Isolation Amongst Seniors and Community Members

    • Chop Swap – Community Zero Waste Program

    • West End Free Kitchen – Community Meal Service Program

    • One Day’s Pay - Indigenous Led Organizations

    • Institute of Integrative Nutrition/Teachers College Columbia University – Health Coach

    • IKYTA Level 1 – Certified Yoga Teacher

    • The Eckhart Tolle School of Awakening – Graduate

    • Inner MBA – Graduate

Awards

SERVICES

Caregiving Consulting

Advising & Educating

Life Coaching

Katrina’s tools on how to cope with my dad’s changing behaviours due to dementia have been extremely helpful. I appreciate the support while navigating this difficult & rewarding journey as a caregiver. She is inspiring and I love her creative approach. She gives me insights and amazing ideas on how to connect with my dad and give myself a break.

-K.K.