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Support Groups
What is a Support Group?
A family support group is made up of caregivers, family members and friends of those with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder. Although these people begin as strangers, they quickly become friends and, in a sense, a family.
Support Group Facilitators may be a family member and/or a health care professional. The meetings may focus on emotional support and sharing experiences, or it may focus on education, with experts speaking on topics such as legal issues, nutrition, caregiving techniques and community resources.
Perhaps what is most important about a support group is the atmosphere of caring, frankness and confidentiality it provides. Family members need the freedom to express their emotions without feeling guilt, and caregivers need the positive reinforcement that can be given by others who know the hard work involved in providing care. A support group gives its members the chance to vent their frustrations, anger and disappointments, as well as share their successes in a safe, non-judgmental environment. In the process, members take a first step in restructuring their lives by forming new relationships with each other.
Meetings are held monthly and are FREE for families coping with dementia.
Why do I need a support group?
Attending a support group is often difficult at first. It takes time to feel comfortable sharing your problems with people you do not know. However, the experience of many family members is that once they opened up, they found that their problems were not so different from those of other support group members. Suddenly, the people they were sharing with were not strangers at all, and by sharing with others in the same situation, they felt less alone.
A support group also can help you feel more in control of your life, by helping you understand more about the disease. Because you will have heard how others have coped or are coping with similar situations, you will know what to expect. By sharing with those people and learning from their experiences, you may find it easier to solve problems and make difficult decisions.
Through participation in a support group, you will be better prepared and perhaps feel less devastated as your loved one’s condition becomes worse. You also may be able to find some hope, from seeing that others who have been caring longer have survived the caregiving experience.
Finally, a support group can give you encouragement and moral support. The group members can help you rebuild the self-esteem that may have been damaged in the caregiving process. In many cases, the support group members can become a second family, especially if you are not receiving help from family members or friends.
Alzheimer's Association support groups provide an opportunity for family members, friends, caregivers, and other interested individuals to meet regularly for emotional support, updated information, and exchange of coping skills related to the challenges of caring for an individual with Alzheimer's or a related dementia. Groups are free. Confidentiality of shared information is respected.
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Updated 11/01/06
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