We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rose Anderson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Rose, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
Have you ever had that gnawing feeling in your gut that you should do something? make a change? decide on something? well, that was me in March 2025. I will share the decision first, and then provide the backstory on how I arrived at that decision. So the decision is, I decided to move back to South Florida from Orlando to help care for my aging parents, who are 100 and 93 years old. Before this decision, I had a plan. I planned to live in Orlando (which I did for a short time), build my new life, make new friends, enjoy my new home (that I bought in November 2023), one day meet the love of my life, get married, and just live a whole new life in Central Florida!
Rewind to November 2023. I bought a new house in Orlando. Before you judge me for living 3 hours away, please hear me out! I didn’t feel that Fort Lauderdale was the space for me, and house prices were ridiculous, so I bought an affordable home in an area I liked, and I ensured my parents had the care they needed in my absence. I still had my job in Fort Lauderdale, South Florida, Monday to Friday, and planned to search for a job in Central Florida and seamlessly hand in my notice and move. By August 8th, 2024, I had handed in my notice and moved to Orlando on August 10th.
By August 12th, I got a call from the caregiver that my dad was ill and had been admitted to the hospital. My thought was, “Why now? I just moved.” I drove back to my parents and went to see what was happening with my dad. Not long after that, my mother became ill with an infection and fever. I went from planning to just staying a few days with my parents to staying a few weeks.
By September 2025, both parents were struggling with their health in so many ways. My mother’s Dementia was progressing, and my father’s heart and lung issues were escalating. My truth is, while I loved and cared for my parents, I was doing this from a place of tiredness, resentment, anger, and annoyance. This was all too much and overwhelming. Once my parents were well enough and settled, I moved back to Orlando, and I checked in with my parents daily. Fast forward, my mom and dad made a good recovery, and we were able to celebrate her 100th birthday in October 2024. I wanted my parents to settle into their new normal, and I also wanted space and time to settle into my new home in Orlando. By November 9th, I decided to make another try at moving fully to Central Florida, which I did. My truth is, I did not wish to be the default caregiver! I did not want all of that responsibility on me as a daughter! I was not ready to take this on!. Everything felt a little too much, especially as I was the only sibling in the USA with all this responsibility.
During November 2024 to February 2025, I had time to think, be quiet, journal, and pray. My parents were constantly on my mind and heart, even though I called them every day. My 93 year old father was waking up at 6 am every morning and 5.30 am on a weekend, to relieve the night caregiver, and care for my mom while waiting for the day caregiver to arrive at 10 am. What I didn’t realize was that this care schedule was taking a toll on my dad’s health. He was slowly breaking down and silently declining. In all of this, as I stated at the beginning of this story, I had a gnawing in my stomach that if I didn’t do something to help the situation, I would have a death on my hands. It was all too much for my dad, and in March 2025, I received the dreaded call from the caregiver one morning that my dad was not breathing well. He had fainted and his heart stopped, and he was very ill. I immediately drove to South Florida to visit my dad in the hospital and look after my mother. I did this two times in the month of March, as my father was no longer able to care for my mom. His body was breaking down.
The gnawing in my gut was an indication that I needed to make a change. I then shared with my dad that I was moving back in with them to help and support. As soon as I made the decision, I felt at ease, calm, and relieved. The anxiety and weight that my dad and mother were consistently feeling lifted and shifted. Was I emotional about leaving my home in Orlando? absolutely, but I knew it was the right thing to do. Every day I am grateful I made this decision; however along the way, I have had some serious meltdowns and have cried and felt a little lost in the mix of all the care and doctor’s appointments and life decisions, but today I am thankful and honored that I get to care for my parents. I get to love on and kiss my 100-year-old mother (although some days she doesn’t know who I am), I get to go to the doctor’s appointments with my dad, have long-awaited conversations, and I get to advocate on their behalf. It is from this experience that I have now decided to create a business where I support other families as they advocate, care, and be the voice for their family members. It has been and still is a rollercoaster journey, but I remain strapped in my seat, holding onto the bars and taking the ride. Forever grateful!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hello. I am Jamaican-born, British-raised, and now reside in the USA. I come from a long line of hard workers, factory workers, teachers, nurses, academics, spiritual leaders, and musicians. I am also a singer and songwriter (I got this gift from my mother), but I speak today about the season I am in as a caregiver to two elderly parents, 100 and 93 years old. I didn’t think I would be in this position, but I am the one to care for my parents as they age. When I came to the USA, my parents were quite fit, moving around well, still driving and also working, until one day they weren’t. From the very beginning of my time in the USA, I realized that I had to learn about the medical and elderly care system very quickly.
While I planned to become a musician and work in the music field, I found myself always advocating for my parents. As they began to age and their health began to decline, I found was always organizing, advocating, and managing their affairs. So now I am ready to create a business where I can also support other family members and caregivers on their journey as they navigate supporting their aging parents. I know this is part of my purpose now. My mother is battling Lewy Body Dementia, and as a daughter and a caregiver, I now see and understand the process from diagnosis to hospice/palliative care. I know how it feels, and I want to train, educate, and support others as they navigate this journey. As someone once said, there are only 4 people that exist in this world:
1. Those who are currently caregivers
2. Those who will become caregivers
3. Those who are being cared for
4. Those who will need someone to care for them
My business is in its absolute early stages, but what I see is a platform whereby I can speak to people in groups, or individually, and encourage, train, bring insight, and knowledge to this journey as a caregiver and advocate. I have lived it, and currently living it. Please check out my LinkedIn page for updates as my business will be up and running before December 2025
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I am the only child of my parents, who reside in the USA. I have a brother in the UK, another half-brother in Jamaica, and my sister lives in Ghana. My story is based around caregiving and the journey I am on as I watch my parents age, and understand their aging process, and at times, they resist support and care from outside agencies. For the past 9 years, I worked a full-time job with at-risk girls and then came home to parents who were unwell and battling many illnesses, from heart failure, cancer, to being diagnosed with Dementia. Every day, I showed up 100% at my job and came back to my parents and showed up for them at 100%.
Resilience means to cope with and recover from setbacks. I soon learned that my resilience came from God, prayer, faith, and having a community where I could get support. 2016 was possibly the hardest year. I started my new job in 2015, and by February 2016, my mom was in a fatal car accident. By June 2016, my dad had a quadruple heart bypass. I continued to show up, pray, and read my bible to gain strength. It was through prayer that I have coped and recovered from these setbacks.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I shared the story at the beginning of this interview, but in March 2025, I made the decision to leave my home in Orlando, which I bought in 2023, and move back to live with my elderly parents to help care for them. The decision to put some of my 3-5 year plans and goals on hold, move back into a smaller space, be on call daily, leave my new friends and church behind, takes courage, strength, and guts. I had a plan to live a new life in Orlando and take care of ME. But that was not God’s plan. Although this pivot and change have been a very difficult one, I am beginning to see much clearer the reason for the move and that there is a different purpose for me at this time. Yes, it is a big sacrifice, but when you know that the pivot is the right thing to do, I try and rest in that knowing and be at peace.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @imroseanderson
- Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/roseanderson1
- Youtube: @roseanderson4896
Image Credits
All pictures were taken by me on my phone