When Caregiving Begins: A Grounded Orientation for the Early Days

This course is designed to orient people who find themselves at the beginning of caregiving, often before they recognize the role, before decisions feel clear, and before urgency takes over. Many people arrive here carrying concern without context and responsibility without language. The purpose of this course is not to move you toward decisions, but to help you understand what is actually happening so you can respond thoughtfully rather than reactively. The material is meant to be thorough without being overwhelming. You are not expected to move through it all at once, or in order. Some sections may feel immediately relevant. Others may not resonate until later, or at all. That is intentional. This course is structured so you can take what you need, leave what you don’t, and return when something shifts. This course was created from lived experience. It reflects what early caregiving actually feels like, including the confusion, the quiet accumulation of responsibility, and the pressure to act before clarity has had time to form. The pacing and tone are deliberate. They are meant to support steadiness, not urgency. You will have lifetime access to this course. That access remains even if modules are expanded or added to over time. There is no expectation that you follow updates or engage with new material immediately. The course is designed to remain available to you as a reference, whether you return next week or years from now. This course is meant to stand on its own. It does not require additional tools, services, or follow-up to be useful. Think of it as a thought resource, something you can come back to when you need orientation, language, or reassurance that what you’re experiencing makes sense.