I can see the burnout when I am there and sense it in every phone call. The love is there, but we are all only human. I want them to know that their feelings are real and justified.
Can you do the work of locating the support group, and then suggest it to them? Is there anyway you could also do the work of locating someone to stay with their care receiver during the meetings? Or offer to pay for it if they can locate someone? Sometimes caregiver support groups also have sessions for the care receivers. You might want to emphasize the "support" aspect here if you think they might be offended at the suggestion they need a "class."
I don't know how I would have gotten through my 10 years of caregiving without a support group.
Thank you Jeanne. I have been researching support groups tonight. We are a very private family, but who isn't. Thank you for sharing your good experience with a support group. It is so hard to be so far away.
Our local (Minnesota) support group sometimes is attended by a man whose father, in Texas, has dementia. All of his family is trying to be supportive of his step-mother, and then attend groups where ever they live. Isn't that awesome?
I don't know how I would have gotten through my 10 years of caregiving without a support group.