WESTMINSTER, Md. >> During the early days of the pandemic, Julie Peatt Cassaday took an active role in caregiving for her mother, who suffered from dementia, and her experiences inspired her to write “Dear Sweet Mama.” In June, she gave a reading from the book at Brightview Westminster Ridge, the facility where her mother spent the last months of her life.

“For folks living with dementia, especially those who were in units where family could not get to them, COVID was a real downward spiral for so many of them,” she said. “Deaths among people with dementia increased during the time of COVID.”

The work documents her mother’s move from the Fairhaven Retirement Community in Sykesville, Md., to Brightview Westminster Ridge on April 1, 2020. Brightview halted move-ins of new clients two days later.

The decision to move was a matter of visitation, Peatt Cassaday said. While Brightview allowed limited visitation under strict pandemic protocols, Fairhaven closed its doors to visitors on March 13, which threatened to make life unbearable for her mother.

After spending years cultivating relationships with Fairhaven caretakers, the departure felt unceremonious, she said.

“In complete frustration, I decided to write her a letter, which was kind of ridiculous because she had dementia,” she said. “So instead of sending her the letter, which she would never read, I decided to post on Facebook, and it just started a chain.”

Her first letter, addressed to “Dear Sweet Mama,” was posted on March 26, 2020, and was met with an outpouring of support from friends and associates who were going through similar challenges. She said the post started her on the path of writing a book, though she didn’t know it at the time.

The book is a compilation of the social media posts, with other details added to bring the story together.

It documents the heart- wrenching experience of seeing a loved one through the end of their life amid the hardships of the pandemic. Peatt Cassaday writes about moments when her mother was lucid, which conveys the depth of love among family members.

The author is one of three siblings, including Wendy Phillips of Pikesville, Md. All of the siblings took care of their mother, who died Dec. 28, 2020.

“The hardest part was the last week of her life, when she transitioned,” Phillips said. “That was the hardest part because she finally stopped talking.”

Caring for a loved one can be draining, and Peatt Cassaday told her audience that if they were caregivers, it was important to take care of themselves first.

“Caregiving is not for the faint of heart, and it’s a labor of love,” she said. “On the days when you feel like you’re losing your mind, you might be — but ask for help and give yourself the day off. That’s what I’ve learned.”

The family had plenty of time to learn that lesson, she said. They realized their mother had dementia soon after she lost her husband, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.

Josie Hawk, a medical technician who was among the professionals responsible for Peatt Cassaday’s mother’s care, said “Dear Sweet Mama” is an important book because it offers a family perspective.

“It was crazy during (the early days of) COVID,” Hawk said. “It was a really hard experience for the families and for us, and it was a lot of trial and error, so it was really nice to get the family’s perspective … Her book was a really beautiful way of us being able to see that, because we didn’t get to experience what the families were feeling.”

Hawk said she spent most of 2020 on autopilot. Reading “Dear Sweet Mama” was a welcome way to reflect upon that time.

Andi Walsh, director of Brightview Westminster Ridge Wellspring Village, who helped organize the reading, said she plans to coordinate future events with Peatt Cassaday.

“The goal is to reach as many people as we can and let them know that they’re not alone if they’re a caregiver,” Walsh said.

Peatt Cassaday is owner of Tanglewood, a company that offers life coaching and corporate mindfulness and communication training.

“My intention for putting the book out there was absolutely to help caregivers understand that they are never alone,” she said, “and that they have a tribe around them.”