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. Featured areas of the site include: “The Caregiving Years”, featuring hundreds of links to resources and organizations; “Your Care”, featuring a weekly tip and stress management tips; “Support Center”, featuring Denise’s advice column; eleven online support groups; and a forum where caregivers can post a memory, a struggle, a solution or a hope. 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
* 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 web site 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.
* Launched Your Caregiving Journey, a 30-minute talk show on BlogTalkRadio.com/Caregiving in May 2008. Guests include family caregivers, former family caregivers and health care professionals who offer insights into the caregiving experience.
* 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 two books: The Caregiving Years, Six Stages to a Meaningful Journey and Take Comfort, Reflections of Hope for Caregivers.
“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.).
* 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:
* Sponsor Annual Family Caregiver Awareness Days: Cook for a Caregiver (in March), Job Jar Day (in October) and Kiss a Caregiver (in November).
