Three Parents, 21 Years, One Mission: Meet Debbie Compton
Debbie Compton is a three-time family caregiver, author, and the founder of The Purple Vine, where she helps families navigate dementia, caregiver stress, burnout, safety, communication, and the difficult decisions that come with caring for a loved one. Over 21 years, Debbie cared for her father through Parkinson's disease, her mother through vascular dementia, and her mother-in-law through Alzheimer's, three different diseases and three different living arrangements. What began as a detour from a successful corporate career, where she led teams nationwide, became her life's calling when a hospice nurse saw the tools Debbie had created to keep her family safe and told her, "Other caregivers need to know about this."
Today, Debbie is a certified caregiving consultant and certified caregiving advocate, and she previously served as a community educator for the Alzheimer's Association. Through one-on-one virtual consultations, she gives family caregivers practical, science-backed strategies to make life safer, easier, and healthier, along with the understanding of someone who has been there. As an advocate, she teaches caregivers how to be heard by doctors and care teams, and when needed, joins them at appointments. Her guiding philosophy is simple: you cannot rationalize with an irrational brain, so stop arguing and find a way around it.
Debbie is the author of Caregiving: How to Hold On While Letting Go and the lead author of The Caregiver's Advocate series, which brings together contributors from around the world. All three volumes reached #1 in every U.S. category and in Canada. She has also created dementia-friendly coloring books, including Color Me Calm and Faith Lives Here, along with Boost Your Brain Power and Sunshine for the Soul. Known for cutting straight to actionable advice and for finding laughter in the hardest moments, Debbie is on a mission to make sure no caregiver ever feels alone.
Listen to the full conversation with Debbie here.