About Denise
Denise M. Brown operates Tad Publishing Co., based in Park Ridge, Ill. Through her organization, Denise helps persons who care for an aging relative. Denise gives presentations and seminars about the caregiving experience; created and maintains the Caregiving.com web site; and coaches family caregivers and professionals interested in working with family caregivers.
Denise is a certified caregiving coach, working with family members, professionals and organizations. As a coach, Denise helps individuals and organizations achieve goals, gain insights and plan for the future.
In addition, she is Executive Director and Founder, The Center for Family Caregivers. The Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping persons who care for chronically ill or disabled family members.
About Denise and her work:
* Debuted Caregiving.com in 1996 to provide information and support for family caregivers. Denise developed one of the first online support groups for family caregivers in 1996.
“Denise, I’ve been a caregiver to my husband since 1994 and have been basically in the dark all this time. Hooray!! I’ve found you.” –A family caregiver
“I cried for three days after finding this group. I’m so grateful to know I am not alone.”
–A member of an online support group at Caregiving.com
*Launched Your Caregiving Journey, an Internet talk show on BlogTalkRadio.com, in May 2008. The 30-minute show features interviews with family caregivers and health care professionals.
* Caregiving.com is regularly listed a national resource for family caregivers. Its online support groups were listed as one of four coping resources for family caregivers for the companion web site of The Forgetting, a 90-minute documentary which aired nationally in January 2004, at pbs.org. The other resources were Mayo Clinic, AARP and Washington University in St. Louis.
* The website was listed as one of the best resources on the Internet for family caregivers by Modern Maturity magazine (May/June 1997), the publication of American Association of Retired Persons and as a resource for seniors in Business Week magazine. In addition, the site was chosen as a “Hot Site” by USA Today Online on April 1, 1998. Hot sites exhibit something remarkable in content, according the USA Today Online.
* Developed family caregiver survey conducted annually since 1996. Survey captures information about the family caregivers’ challenges and stresses, as well as their needs for additional community services. Survey results appear on Caregiving.com.
* Regularly provide interviews to the press, such as daily newspapers, monthly magazines and radio programs. Quoted in eldercare articles in The Wall Street Journal on December 10, 1997, and June 20, 2002 and in Time magazine (June 2005). Work with reporters writing about eldercare issues from publications such as More magazine, USA Today, Redbook, and Smart Money.
* Created and authored The Caregiving Years, Six Stages to a Meaningful Journey, a handbook for family caregivers. Developed a complimentary manual for health care professionals and six accompanying posters.
“I enjoyed your page very much. I see much of my experience and experiences to come in what you have written. It is an integrated response. My wife of 29 years had trauma to the head in ’93 and has developed a severe onset of dementia. I just retired to part time this year in order to help out more, but I think I’m now in stage three. This is why I found your page so helpful. I think the key words are on target. Much appreciated.”–A visitor to Caregiving.com
About her consulting/speaking services:
* Is a consultant/trainer for LifeCare, a national Work/Life Benefits company. Denise offers seminars and workshops for LifeCare’s Chicago-based clients. Attendees to Denise’s workshops regularly rate her presentations as “very good” or “excellent.”
* Presented at caregiving conferences and workshops, including those sponsored by Area Agency on Aging for Lincolnland (Springfield, Ill.), Areawide Aging Agency (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Oklahoma Aging Advocacy Leadership Academy (OAALA) and Parkinson Center of Oregon (Portland, Ore.).
* Developed and led two three-week teleclasses for Foundation for Senior Living, Phoenix, AZ. The first course was entitled “Telling Your Truth to Find Your Team;” the second, “Journaling for Family Caregivers.”
* Worked with the Chicago Department on Aging and its Caregiving Initiative. Denise presented at the department’s caregiving workshops and worked with department to develop ongoing seminars and workshops for family caregivers and for the health care professionals who help them.
“I heard you talk in San Diego. Great presentation.”–Workshop Attendee
* Member, National Speakers Bureau sponsored by Marriott Senior Living Services and New York Life in 2002. The bureau consisted of five nationally recognized eldercare experts.
* Participated in Consensus Development Conference on Caregiving: Agenda for Action, hosted by National Health Council, December 2-3, 1998, in Alexandria, Va. Participants at the invitation-only conference developed a white paper to address the nation’s growing need to support and help family caregivers of the disabled, chronically ill and frail elderly.
* Present annually from 1999 until 2004 at American Society on Aging annual conferences. Presented information on how to start and maintain successful support groups for family caregivers at the 1995 and 1996 Illinois Department of Aging’s annual conference in Chicago.
About The Center for Family Caregivers:
* Developed and distributed Kits for Caregivers to help family caregivers throughout their multi-year journey: The New Caregiver kit helps persons when they first begin to worry about an aging relative; The Seasoned Caregiver kit helps persons who have been a caregiver for several years; and The Transitioning Caregiver kit help persons whose role as a caregiver has ended.
* Sponsor Annual Family Caregiver Awareness Days: Cook for a Caregiver (in March), Job Jar Day (in October) and Kiss a Caregiver (in November).
To reach Denise, send her an email, give her a call (773-343-6341), or follow her on Twitter.
You are a disruptor. The delivery of health care starts with you, continues because of you, and ends with you. Let's disrupt together to make the world better for family caregivers. 
Suzanne Fuselier
Denise, I have navigated through this site a little. I have read some of the topics, and comments, and I instantly feel an overwhelming amount of comfort. It is the same feeling you get when you come home to the wonderful smells coming out of the kitchen, or putting on that favorite pair of jeans, holes and all. You develop an instant feeling, and you breathe deep, then sigh..Awww, I have found my comfort zone. Thank You and everyone else who has worked so hard to keep this site interesting and fresh.
I would like to start a blog about our challenges in the care of my Father-In-Law. But personally,I have a long history of care giving.
I have never started a blog, but I would like to. Can you give me any advise to help me get it started?
I would appreciate any help.
Thank You,
Suzanne Fuselier
(Note from Denise: I contacted Suzanne about blogging. I hope she will!)
Suzanne Fuselier
Dear Denise,
I hate to admit this, but I am not sure I wrote that. It was 1/17/10, and life has been really crazy. I am the primary caregiver for my Father-in-law, and I have been a caregiver for my daughter(cancer as an infant), Mother(lost her battle with cancer at age 58), my son(burned over 65% third and fourth degree in gasoline explosion), Mother-in-law(lost her battle with cancer), Father-in-law(Alzheimer’s). Now I am diagnosed with LCH and hopefully will start chemo right after Christmas. Dad is still with us, and overall, alot more healthy than other men that are 85 years old. But the Alzheimer’s has progressed alot.
I just do not remember writing to you, but I am sure that I am not the only Suzanne Fuselier in the US.
It would be very ironic if there is another Suzanne out there taking care of a Father in law.