Hi M.A., Wow - your definition is much better than the dictionary's. Inspiring!

I like the "noble journey" concept. Noble is defined as "having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals." The word caregiver focuses on what one provides for others. However, it could be valuable for caregivers to be branded as people who are engaged in an experience (and a journey) that demonstrates and elicits fine personal qualities and high moral principles. It would elevate the role into something about the self, not just about others.

I like the welcome wagon concept. When you begin a caregiving journey, you often feel alone and at sea. A welcome wagon conveys the message: You are not alone, and the journey you're taking is filled with other resourceful, inclusive people.

I also like the humor inherent in this idea. Caregivers, a notoriously exhausted tribe, need to have fun, and these playful deliveries would brighten the day of any noble adventurer.

Today's Washington Post happens to have a photo essay related to Alzheimer's. The photographer was granted $5,000 by the Bob and Diane Fund to promote awareness of the disease. "The visual stories of patients and caregivers can humanize what is, in fact, a very cruel and dehumanizing disease," says Gina Martin, of the fund. However, the three selected images do not include caregivers, thus rendering the work of the caregivers invisible, as it so often seems to be.

There are so many arts programs for people with dementia and caregivers that the Aging and Mental Health journal and Art Therapy journal have published literature reviews on the subject. MoMa's program is one well-known example.

However, these programs are mostly focused on the people with dementia themselves, with the caregivers' inclusion seemingly more of an afterthought. Perhaps it's time to shine a light on artwork by and for and about caregivers themselves.