Being a caregiver can bring stress, worry, exhaustion, guilt and the list goes on. Taking care of someone suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia can mentally drain a person as much as they may deny it. This disease takes a powerful tole not only on the diagnosed but the people surrounding them, in different ways.
As a caregiver, it is important to feel supported and not alone in the process of taking care of a loved one. We are lucky today there are many care options for loved ones suffering with Alzheimer’s or dementia, and options for caregivers. Let’s talk about the importance of support groups in caregivers’ journeys…
While caregivers are usually never alone, it’s easy to feel alone and isolated. Caregivers spend most of their time caring for someone else in every way possible, it’s difficult to remember to take care of themselves. It can also be difficult to accept memory care for your loved one as you’re so used to it, but sometimes it’s what it needs to turn too.
Support groups help you develop relationships with people who have similar stories to you whether that be with their parents, spouse, sibling, or a friend. In these discussions, you would be exchanging information between other caregivers like yourself, it could even turn into finding solutions to the problems you’re having. Advice from others can go a long way.
A support group gives you access to other people’s experiences, they can relate to you through their own challenges with their loved one. You as a caregiver can discuss what you have gone through and seek advice from others in the same position. You can share your true feelings in a safe space meant for venting and coping with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
There are many resources out there to caregivers and family members of loved ones with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Click here to find support groups in your area.
Book a tour here to see if we’re the right fit.
More Support Group Resources:
Eldercare Locator – https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Resources/Topic/Caregiver.aspx
Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) – http://lists.caregiver.org/mailman/listinfo/caregiver-online_lists.caregiver.org
