With all of the demands of caring for someone with dementia, sometimes it’s just not possible to get emotional support in person. Finding other caregivers online is an option. Many websites have caregiver forums which allow users to ask questions and get answers from people in similar situations. Sometimes these forums are moderated by a trained professional but often they are not. As a result, you must use your discretion when receiving advice from an unknown and potentially biased “friend” on the internet.
Facebook Groups are a great place to find comfort and support from others who are also coping with Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia. Discussions cover the entire progression of the disease and interaction depends on group size. Because these are closed groups, your comments are not visible on your timeline to non-members so your privacy is maintained. Each group is run differently and each has a different number of members. There a literally dozens of groups so you will have to find the one(s) that are right for you. Some groups, like Memory People, even have sub-groups focused on people’s interests such as crafting or animals.
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AgingCare.com is a website with a community of caregivers who are caring for people with an array of needs. The Alzheimer’s and dementia page has great information as well as links to the discussion and questions sections. Other caregivers provide their input in these sections so the answers can be wide-ranging. They do have moderators who do a fantastic job of providing quality advice. I also highly recommend that you sign up for their newsletter; you will get discussions and questions delivered straight to your inbox. When you’re busy, you can quickly skim these emails to see if something piques your interest.
There are several other online groups that you can visit such as:
The UK’s Alzheimer’s Society’s Talking Points
The USA’s Alzheimer’s Association’s Alz Connected
Elder Care Online’s Elder Care Forum
Don’t forget to Bookmark this page for quick access
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