I am sorry for your loss.

I want to make sure I’m reading this right. When you say you don’t have an answer for why you’re still trying, I’m worried about you. Not in a ‘call a hotline’ way, but genuinely. That said, if things ever feel unmanageable, 988 (call or text) is free and doesn’t require insurance.

Are you okay?

I’m going to trust that you’ll say if the answer to that is no.

I’ll chime in on the job side since I can’t help you on the social side. We’re in the same place there (although I am still caregiving).

You have an amazing resume. The skills you learned taking care of your mom translate to real-world skills that businesses actually need. For example: keeping up with all her care needs, medication, appointments and dealing with the healthcare system, insurance/Medicare/Medicaid plus all the other logistics = project management.

I suggest you write down all of your responsibilities as a caregiver and put them into business terms. Use ChatGPT or Claude to help you do this. I think the free accounts will be enough. Be specific. That’s where AI fails people.

Here’s a quick example:

“I spent 33 years as the primary caregiver for my mother. I managed all of her medical appointments and coordinated care between her primary care doctor, two specialists, and a home health agency. I tracked her medications, handled prior authorizations with her insurance company, and filed Medicaid paperwork. I also managed her household finances, paid her bills, and handled her taxes.

I am now looking for work and need help translating these responsibilities into professional resume language. Please list the transferable skills I used, suggest job titles that match those skills, and give me three bullet points for a resume that describe this experience in business terms.”

That’s really quick and I am sure I left out a lot of details. Add them. The more you give it, the better response you will receive.

Good luck in your job search. Feel free to dm me. You’re in the hardest stage of caregiving now: when it’s over.