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Dementia Caregiver Therapist in WA | Jenna Rumberger, LICSW

@agingwithaplan

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💜 Helping dementia caregivers navigate stress, guilt & grief
✨Accepting new therapy clients in Redmond & WA State
⬇️ Get my FREE caregiver guilt guide

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Comment GUIDE and I’ll send you my free guide on dementia caregiver guilt. 💜

Dementia caregiving can make you feel guilty no matter what you do.

You may feel guilty for needing a break, not visiting enough, feeling frustrated, or making difficult decisions about your parent’s care.

And underneath it all may be one painful question:

“Am I doing enough?”

Here’s what I want you to remember:

Feeling guilty is not the same thing as being guilty.

In other words: guilt doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing something wrong.

If caregiver guilt has been weighing on you, my free guide will help you make sense of it and offer simple reframes to help you be more compassionate toward yourself.

Comment GUIDE below and I’ll send it to you.

➡ Follow @agingwithaplan for emotional support and practical guidance for dementia family caregivers

Website: agingwithaplan.org

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#dementiacaregiver #caregiverguilt #dementiasupport #alzheimerscaregiver #washingtonstate If you’re caring for a parent, living with dementia and feel guilty no matter what you do, read this taken in Seattle, Washington by @agingwithaplan

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2 months ago

There are so many new faces here, I’d love to introduce myself 😊

I’m Jenna, a licensed therapist (LICSW) based in Redmond, Washington (just outside of Seattle). My path to this work is both professional and deeply personal.

My Grandma Betty lived with Alzheimer’s for 10 years, and I supported my mom as a long-distance caregiver. I witnessed the stress, overwhelm, and loneliness caregiving can bring.

But my biggest turning point came in June 2023, when I (thankfully) survived a sudden cardiac arrest. The odds of surviving outside the hospital are only ~7%. That wake-up call forced me to face how much stress I was carrying, and reminded me of what truly matters.

In January 2024, I opened my solo private practice to support older adults and caregivers impacted by dementia.

With 12+ years of social work and mental health experience, I now provide psychotherapy, consultations, and caregiver support groups. My goal is to create safe, supportive spaces where you can share openly, learn new strategies, and find calm in the chaos. 💜

💬 I’d love to hear from you: How has dementia touched your life? Share your story in the comments. Your voice matters here.

➡ Follow @agingwithaplan for more mental health tips & support for dementia caregivers!
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#alz #alzheimers #dementia #dementiacare #dementiacaregiver #caregiversupport #endalz #mentalhealthmatters #redmondtherapist #washingtonstate Hi, I’m Jenna! 👋

Licensed Therapist for Older Adults & Caregivers impacted by Dementia taken in Redmond, Washington by @agingwithaplan

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a year ago

“How do you know when it’s time to see a therapist for dementia caregiver support?”

You don’t have to wait until you’ve reached complete burnout.

Dementia caregiver burnout can show up as feeling constantly overwhelmed, exhausted, irritable, anxious, resentful, or unable to turn off your worried thoughts.

These signs do not mean you’re failing as a caregiver.

They may mean you’ve been carrying too much for too long without enough support.

Therapy for dementia caregivers can give you a space to:

→ process feelings like anxiety, grief, and guilt
→ manage caregiver stress
→ set healthier boundaries
→ find realistic ways to build a life outside of caregiving

Hi, I’m Jenna! I offer individual therapy and caregiver consultation for adults throughout Washington State.

Visit the link in my bio to schedule a free 20 minute intro call and see if we may be a good fit. 💜
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#dementiacaregiver #caregiverburnout #caregiverstress #caregiversupport #washingtonstatetherapist taken in Seattle, Washington by @agingwithaplan

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3 years ago

What does “self care” even look like when someone depends on you as their caregiver?

You may know you need more room for yourself.

But when you’re caring for someone living with dementia, it can be hard to find the time or energy for yourself.

In my opinion, one of the best forms of self care involves boundaries.

You know something needs to change, you may not know what you can actually step back from.

Boundaries in caregiving can start with questions like:

→ What can I realistically keep doing?
→ What support can I ask for?
→ What parts of my own life have I been putting on hold?

You don’t need a perfect plan.

You can start by noticing where you need support, too. 💜

👋 I’m Jenna, a licensed therapist who supports dementia caregivers with the emotional side of caregiving, including burnout, anxiety, grief, guilt, and boundaries.

Follow @agingwithaplan for more mental health support for dementia caregivers.

Website: agingwithaplan.org
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#dementiacaregiver #caregiversupport #caregiverboundaries #caregiverstress #washingtonstate taken in Seattle, Washington by @agingwithaplan

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11 minutes ago

Have you ever thought, “I have nothing left to give,” and then had to keep giving?

When you’re caring for someone living with dementia, you likely still have another call to answer, decision to make, or a difficult evening to get through.

Feeling depleted makes sense when so much has been asked of you for so long.

👋 I’m Jenna, a licensed therapist who supports dementia caregivers

Here, we talk about burnout, anxiety, grief, guilt, boundaries, and more

If you’ve been looking for a place where the emotional side of caregiving is understood, welcome. 💜

Follow @agingwithaplan for more mental health support for dementia caregivers!

Website: agingwithaplan.org
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#dementiacaregiver #caregiversupport #caregiverstress #caregiverburnout #washingtonstate taken in Seattle, Washington by @agingwithaplan

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2 days ago

Comment GUIDE and I’ll send you my free guide on dementia caregiver guilt 💜

When you’re the one taking the lead with your mom’s dementia care, resentment toward your siblings can build.

You’re scheduling appointments, getting medications, checking in on Mom, and doing the paperwork.

Meanwhile, they ask you, “How’s Mom doing?”

You might find yourself thinking:
→ “Why do I have to ask them to help?”
→ “Can’t they see I’m drowning here and need more help?”

Then you feel guilty for being angry.

They’re my siblings. Should I even feel this way?

You can love your siblings and still wish they would do more.

Feeling resentment doesn’t make you a bad person.

If guilt has been weighing on you, my free Dementia Caregiver Guilt Guide offers simple reframes to help you make sense of what you’re feeling and respond with more compassion toward yourself.

Comment GUIDE below and I’ll send it to you 💜

➡️ Follow @agingwithaplan for support with dementia caregiver stress, guilt, grief, and more.

Website: agingwithaplan.org

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#dementiacaregiver #caregiverguilt #dementiasupport #alzheimerscaregiver #washingtonstate Comment GUIDE and I’ll send you my free guide on dementia caregiver guilt. 💜

When you’re the one taking the lead with your mom’s dementia care, resentment toward your siblings can build.

You’re scheduling appointments, getting medications, checking in on Mom, and doing the paperwork. Meanwhile, they ask you, “How’s Mom doing?”

You might find yourself thinking:
→ “Why do I have to ask them to help?”
→ “Can’t they see I’m drowning here and need more help?”

Then you feel guilty for being angry. They’re my siblings. Should I even feel this way?

You can love your siblings and still wish they would do more.

Feeling resentment doesn’t make you a bad person.

If guilt has been weighing on you, my free Dementia Caregiver Guilt Guide offers simple reframes to help you make sense of what you’re feeling and respond with more compassion toward yourself.

Comment GUIDE below and I’ll send it to you 💜

➡️ Follow @agingwithaplan for support with dementia caregiver stress, guilt, grief, and more.

Website: agingwithaplan.org

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#dementiacaregiver #caregiverguilt #dementiasupport #alzheimerscaregiver #washingtonstate taken in Seattle, Washington by @agingwithaplan

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3 days ago

Sometimes you can ask clearly, explain what you need, and have the conversation…

and your siblings still don’t step up.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you asked the wrong way.

Your siblings may have their own relationship with your parent, their own response to the dementia diagnosis, or a very different idea of what their caregiving responsibility should be.

And as painful as it can be, you can’t make another adult take on a caregiving role they aren’t willing or able to take on.

There can be real grief in accepting that.

Especially when you’re exhausted and thinking:

“Why am I the one carrying all of this?”

And when nothing changes, it can bring up some really complicated feelings toward your siblings, including feelings that might be difficult to process.

Part 3 of 4: Navigating dementia caregiving with siblings.

Stay tuned for Part 4: we’re talking about one of those feelings of frustration and resentment

➡️ Follow @agingwithaplan for support with dementia caregiver stress, guilt, grief, and more.

Website: www.agingwithaplan.org

#dementiacaregiver #dementiacaregiving #caregiversupport #familycaregiver #adultdaughtercaregiver taken in Bellevue, Washington by @agingwithaplan

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23 days ago

The mistake is ⤵️

asking your siblings to “help more” instead of asking them to take ownership of something specific.

When you’re already the default caregiver, “Just tell me what you need” can still leave YOU responsible for figuring out what needs to be done, asking for help, and following up.

Instead of: “Can you help more with Mom?”

Try getting specific about what they can take responsibility for:

→ “Can you take over scheduling and taking Mom to her medical appointments?”

→ “Can you manage Mom’s prescription refills each month?”

→ “Can you visit Mom every Sunday afternoon so I know I have that time off?”

The goal isn’t just to get occasional help.

It’s to reduce how much of the caregiving responsibility you’re carrying alone.

SAVE this if asking your siblings for help feels harder than just doing it yourself.

Part 2 of 4: Navigating dementia caregiving with siblings.

Stay tuned for Part 3!

➡️ Follow @agingwithaplan for support with dementia caregiver stress, guilt, grief, and more.

Website: www.agingwithaplan.org

#dementiacaregiver #dementiacaregiving #caregiversupport #familycaregiver #adultdaughtercaregiver taken in Seattle, Washington by @agingwithaplan

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24 days ago

Listen up, daughters caring for their person living with dementia ⤵️

You become the person who notices what needs to be done.

You schedule the appointments.

Call the doctor.

Research care options.

Check on Mom. Handle the crisis.

Remember what everyone else forgets.

And because you’re capable and reliable, your family starts to depend on you.

Over time, “she can handle it” can quietly turn into “she’ll handle it.”

Meanwhile, your siblings may not fully see the mental load you’re carrying because so much of it happens behind the scenes.

And when something needs to get done, you may step in because you know it matters, not because you actually want to be responsible for all of it.

That’s how being the capable daughter can slowly turn into being the default caregiver.

But being the most responsible person in the family doesn’t mean you should automatically be responsible for everything.

Part 1 of 4: Navigating dementia caregiving with siblings. Stay tuned for Part 2!

➡️ Follow @agingwithaplan for support with dementia caregiver stress, guilt, grief, and more.

Website: www.agingwithaplan.org

#dementiacaregiver #caregiversupport #siblingdynamics #mentalhealththerapy #washingtonstatetherapist taken in Seattle, Washington by @agingwithaplan

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a month ago

Comment GUIDE and I’ll send you my free guide on dementia caregiver guilt. 💜

Moving your mom with dementia into a care community can bring up a lot of guilt, even when you know she needs more support than what you can realistically continue providing.

You might wonder:
→ “Am I giving up on her?”
→ “Am I abandoning my mom?”
→ “Does making this decision make me a bad daughter?”

Feeling guilty doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing something wrong.

Sometimes guilt shows up because the reality of what your mom needs conflicts with what you believe a “good daughter” should be able to do.

And this is only one way dementia caregiver guilt can show up.

If guilt has been weighing on you, my free guide offers simple reframes to help you make sense of what you’re feeling and respond with more compassion toward yourself.

Comment GUIDE below and I’ll send it to you. 💜

➡️ Follow @agingwithaplan for support with dementia caregiver stress, guilt, grief, and more.

Website: agingwithaplan.org

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#dementiacaregiver #caregiverguilt #dementiasupport #alzheimerscaregiver #washingtonstate If you’re a daughter, feeling guilty about moving your mom with dementia into a care community and worry, it means your “giving up” on her, read this taken in Seattle, Washington by @agingwithaplan

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a month ago

If you feel ashamed of your caregiver resentment, please read this ⤵️

After 13 years of working with older adults, caregivers, and families, I’ve learned that some of the most loving caregivers can also feel deeply resentful of the caregiving role.

They can love their parent AND miss the life they had before caregiving.

They can want their parent to be safe AND wish they didn’t have so much responsibility.

They can be grateful they’re able to help AND desperately want a break.

This is one of the reasons I’m so passionate about supporting dementia caregivers.

You deserve a place where you can be honest about ALL of your feelings (even the ones that are hard to admit out loud).

That’s what therapy is for.

Loving your parent doesn’t require loving every part of being their caregiver.

This is Part 4 of my 4 part series on dementia caregiver resentment. If you missed the other parts, check out my recent posts 💜

➡️ Follow @agingwithaplan for support with dementia caregiver stress, guilt, grief, and more.

Website: www.agingwithaplan.org

#dementiacaregiver #caregiversupport #caregiverburnout #caregiverresentment #washingtonstatetherapist taken in Redmond, Washington by @agingwithaplan

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a month ago

One shift I see in therapy is dementia caregivers learning to separate what they feel from who they are.

Because feeling frustrated or resentful doesn’t mean you’re a bad daughter.

You can resent how much caregiving has changed your life AND deeply love your parent.

Both can be true.

SAVE this for the next time resentment starts creeping in.

This is Part 3 of my 4 part series on caregiver resentment.

Stay tuned for Part 4: what 13 years of working with older adults, caregivers, and families has taught me about caregiver resentment.

➡️ Follow @agingwithaplan for support with dementia caregiver stress, guilt, grief, and more.

Website: www.agingwithaplan.org

#dementiacaregiver #caregiversupport #caregiverburnout #caregiverresentment #washingtonstatetherapist taken in Redmond, Washington by @agingwithaplan

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a month ago