Acknowledgments

This book is dedicated to my late husband, Neil Feola Jr., who taught me about love, compassion, and unconditional commitment. You were the ultimate example of living life with dignity and passion in spite of a long and difficult battle. Not a day goes by where I don’t think of you and thank you for being a part of my life. You set me on a journey of great personal growth and made me the person I am today. Shine on, my love!

I would like to express my deep gratitude to the following people who have been so important and instrumental in my life and in the process of this book.

Thank you to Judy Peters, my hospice bereavement counselor while Neil was in the last stage of his life, who is now one of my dearest friends. I’ll never forget sitting on the couch with Judy toward the end, and she told me that I needed to take what I had learned during this time with Neil and to reach out to others facing similar difficulties. She said that by helping others, I would heal myself. Little did I know this conversation would lead to two eldercare businesses and a book!

Thank you to my beloved mother, Patricia Ann Bauer, whose support and insistence that I attend a fateful writers retreat in August 2012 is truly the foundation for this project of love.

Thank you to Rick Wandrych, who is my biggest cheerleader. Without your love, commitment, and never ending belief in my abilities, this book would have sat indefinitely on a dusty shelf in my mind. You believed in me and gave me the encouragement I needed to finally put pen to paper. I love you.

Thank you to Linda Sivertsen, my Book Mama, who lit the flame under me and insisted that this book needed to be written. You gave me the confidence to see what could be and exactly how I could do it. I don’t believe The Eldercare Consultant would have made it to publishing had it not been for your support, guidance, and assistance with the proposal and with finding an agent. You are an angel!

Thank you to Jeff Herman of The Jeff Herman Agency and Bob Nirkind, Senior Acquisitions Editor for AMACOM Books. I’ve learned so much from both of you.

Thank you to my family—Bob, Sun, Luke, Breanna, and Colton—for your love, enthusiasm, and support! I love you all dearly.

Thank you to my mother-in-law, Barb Feola, and my late father-in-law, Neil Feola Sr.: I can’t express how much your continued love and support after Neil’s death has meant to me. You will always be my family.

Thank you to my friend Maryglenn Boals, who often asked those challenging questions when I was doubting myself, who kept me focused on my goal, and who made sure I knew that creating this book was important.

Thank you to the sponsors who believed there was a need for this information and supported my efforts to provide it: The National Association of Baby Boomer Women; Dr. CJ Henius, host of Hello Dr. CJ—What’s Life About; Marketingworx PR; and Bare Essentials Marketing.

Thank you to the eldercare professionals who provide support and guidance for those in need of assistance or who are providing care for a loved one. Your input for this book was invaluable.

And finally, thank you to all the families and individuals that I have served over the years. Your personal stories are the reason this book will touch the hearts of others and will be a legacy to those we have loved and lost.