Help for Caregivers using Technology

One of the biggest concerns, I suspect of caregivers who are looking after chronically ill loved ones are the sense of isolation and feeling alone. This is not true, a story written by Megan-Thielking in an online post on STAT points out that there are many support groups on Facebook out there. If you do a search on Facebook for "dementia caregivers support group" you will be amazed at the number of groups that come up. Not only do groups come up, but videos and links to other resources. This is a screenshot of the first few groups found when using this search.

The interesting point is that if you are a caregiver and feel isolated and alone, there is a support group with people who can help you. Technology can connect you with new friends and support that you did not know was available. Facebook is one place to start, but if you do other online searches for example select then right-click on the following text dementia caregivers support group and select search google, within a second you will have over ten million hits. Help can be only a click away, please use it

There is always someone online when you need to connect with a person, and often, there’s someone who is familiar with the very same problems you’ve come to ask about. You don’t have to drive to a support group or find someone to care for your loved one while you’re there. They’re a place to ask for advice, to vent, to be brutally honest. And because most groups are private, they’re a place to share things with strangers that you’d never want your own family to know, things a caregiver might be embarrassed or ashamed to ask anyone but another caregiver.

The groups are a particularly powerful platform for dementia caregivers, who are tasked with a singularly cruel and lonely job. They shoulder hefty responsibilities like all kinds of caregivers do — coordinating medical care, helping with bathing and eating, and figuring out finances. But they do so while watching their loved ones — often, a parent or partner — lose their memories and their sense of self.