Lori-Renee Dixon James
Lori-Renee Dixon James has little interest in acting her age if it means slowing down. After 40 years in K–12 administration and college-level teaching, the Chicago native turned her education experience toward caregiver advocacy. Founded in 2018 in honor of her father, the James M. Dixon Foundation supports caregivers and expands dementia education in underserved communities. With her daughter serving alongside her on the foundation’s board, James is building a family legacy of service without losing sight of her own well-being and style.
What experience changed the direction of your life?
Caring for my father through Alzheimer’s and then losing him shaped everything I did afterward. A few times a month, I traveled back and forth to Florida while my daughter finished high school and decided where to go to college. It was a very difficult time. That experience led me to support other caregivers and people living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, especially in under-resourced communities.
How have you learned over time to prioritize yourself?
When I was younger, I took a lot of things for granted. Now, I’m more intentional about how I take care of myself. I tell caregivers, ‘You’re focused on caring for someone else, but you also have to make time for yourself because there is life after caregiving.’ My daughter watches everything I do. The way I care for myself shows her how I want her to care for herself.
What would you say to someone who feels like their best years are behind them?
My grandmother used to say, ‘If you’re not under the ground, you still have time.’ When you reach a certain age, people think you should be a certain way, act a certain way and look a certain way. But being fabulous to me isn’t about following rules; it’s about marching to the beat of my own drum. As long as we are on this side of life, we still have time to be fabulous and still have time to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of other people.
