Cameron Huddleston’s personal and professional lives collided when her mother was diagnosed at age 65 with Alzheimer's Disease. She was 35 and mother of two young daughters, with a son added later in the journey!  Because her mom was living on her own and Cameron lived closest, she stepped into the role of caregiver. 

For the first two years after the diagnosis, her mother continued to live independently with Cameron's support and a paid caregiver, who spent a few days a week with her. Cameron moved her into her home when it became apparent that she was no longer safe living alone. 

After two years, Cameron knew her mother needed more care than she could provide and moved her into a memory care facility. But, her caregiving journey didn’t end with her mother’s move as she oversaw her care, managed her finances, and visited her frequently.

In this episode, you’ll hear about Cameron’s caregiver journey, including her experience of finding an extra $50,000 account that she didn't know about and then almost losing the money. She shares how to find resources in the community and stresses the importance of finding manageable solutions along the way. Cameron would go on to write a book about the importance of having conversations about money while your parents are still young and healthy. 

In this episode, you will learn the following:

1. What can be done to ensure financial security for a loved one with a medical diagnosis?

2. How to have difficult conversations about aging and finances with your parent(s), family members or loved ones?

3. Effective strategies for managing someone else's finances?

About Cameron:

Cameron Huddleston is an author, speaker, and award-winning journalist with over 20 years of experience writing about personal finance. She was inspired to write her book, Mom and Dad; We Need to Talk: How to Have Essential Conversations With Your Parents About Their Finances while caring for her mom, who had Alzheimer's disease. She realized how important it was for adult children to have money talks with parents before an emergency or health issue leaves them unable to manage their finances independently. Since her book was released in 2019, she has been helping families break the taboo of talking about money. She continues to do so as director of education and content at Carefull, the first service built to protect aging adults' daily finances.

Connect with Cameron:

Website: cameronhuddleston.com / getcarefull.com

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Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver

Sisterhood of Care, LLC

Website: www.confessionsofareluctantcaregiver.com

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