Welcome to Carer Mentor!
Hi, I'm Victoria. I live in the UK, and I’ve been caregiving since 2015.
I’m building Carer Mentor: Empathy and Inspiration for caregivers and anyone with a chronic illness or health condition.
I launched the website on my Dad’s birthday in 2020, the first without him. I joined Substack in October 2023 and could finally build the community support network I’d envisaged, with this fifth evolution of Carer Mentor.
The Carer Mentor website is a hub of tools, resources & insights, as well as a community support network. A portal of hope ❤️
Purpose & Mission:
It's personal because I've experienced a rollercoaster journey: caring for my parents, recalibrating my sense of self, discovering how to sustain my mental health and well-being - to name just a few of the challenges!
By sharing my caregiving experiences and those of others in the Carer Mentor community, we can build a network of empathy and inspiration to support each other.
Through this network, we can shift the narrative of caregiving from behind closed doors, from an individual’s burden to an everyday mainstream conversation that highlights the social collective crisis of caregiving. You are not alone, and we cannot do this alone.
You can read more about why I started Carer Mentor in this article:
“There are only four kinds of people in the world—those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.” -Rosalynn Carter, Former First Lady of the United States.
The Carer Mentor Website and Publication:
The website is a hub and portal to the resources, training, and insights I’ve acquired as a caregiver and a global commercial leader. E.g. A series of articles on a specific topic: Emotional Agility
The iCARE Stack is a reliable Go-To Hub. (Read the introduction here) I’ve curated the information based on my personal experience and journey—what I would have wanted to read.
I curate the indexes and anthologies, so you don’t have to spend your precious time and energy scrolling or searching for care-related articles. It will never be a complete compendium, but it’s a great starting point when you have limited time! Two of the most popular Anthologies include: The Caregivers Hacks/Tips or the iCARE Cancer Anthology.
My story in brief
This image below shows the fairly sedate ups and downs I had until 2015 and then the seismic shifts and jolts I’ve experienced since then:
I’ve studied in England and France, obtaining a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Medical Microbiology, an MBA, and Diplôme d’études supérieures in European Enterprise Management.
I’ve held positions of increasing responsibility and leadership, starting in market research, then brand management, commercial leadership and portfolio management. I’ve led cross-functional, multicultural teams through organisational change and pivots in business strategy.
In 2015, I took a leave of absence from my role as a commercial VP to help my Mum care for my Dad.
In 2017, I resigned to dedicate more time to my parents. At the same time, I started my mentoring business, supporting clients in their work challenges and career strategies.
Now, I’m a full-time carer with two small businesses that fit around my priority: caregiving.
For your awareness: I use Grammarly and other AI tools for research. I do not use Agentic AI or large language models for ideas about caregiving, as I have 10+ years of hands-on, personal experience and interactions with carers to draw on.
I curate anthologies that embrace the full diversity of caregiving experiences with meaningful insights and resources. I value every human experience.
The purpose of this website publication is to support caregivers and raise awareness of the hidden crisis of caregiving.
My most precious gift is time, and I choose to spend it caring for my loved one and on this mission, advocating and supporting other caregivers.
Please consider supporting the publication with a paid subscription. Thank you.
Please ‘❤️’ LIKE the article & consider subscribing!
