Are you looking for a caregiver support group or a bereavement support group? You can find both online and you may find both in your own community. If you are looking for an in-person kind ofgroup in your own community, check with Churches, Hospice organizations, and the Alzheimer's Association. The Alzheimer's Association in my community had a wonderful list of Grief Support Groups that did not necessarilyinvolve Alzheimer's at all. I chose one near me and it was the best Grief Support Group I had been to--better enough that I took the training and became a Grief Facilitator for the group myself.
I requested direction to a dementia FORUM from the Alzheimer's Assn. All I got was being pestered with donation links. And no reference to a forum like this one. I even joined a local group that had regular meetings and each meeting wasted an hour on general health maintenance info and then.....finally... opened the floor to discussion from group members. THIS place has all the info you might need. The problem is that dementia and Alzheimers is incurable. So only individual topics can be useful.
Facebook does have some great groups to join as well, and much like this one, many subjects explored. Even has special groups for those with Lewy's, those dealing with Parkinson's and such. So many groups deal with individual problems.
In most cases you can be an active or passive member of a support group. I choose to be only active by attending meetings. I agree with StrugglingSon. Not all discussed at these meetings will be pertinent to you, but I myself have learned from such meetings how to handle some things. I'm no longer a member of any group as my husband passed. I am active in my community to keep myself busy and to learn from others how to handle certain situations. But, I choose not to be active all day, just for activities I want to attend-maybe 1 or 2 a week. Like music at happy hour, with or without a small drink. It's all your choice, but I learned not to sit in my apartment 7 days a week without being a little sociable. I rarely talk when I am at my dinner table with 5 or 6 other residents. I listen, seldom make a comment, but, I listen, to others in conversation, just to not to be alone. It is not good to be alone without being sociable. Makes for one to become a hermit, AND, if you are senior, you do not know when your time will come. Think if you weren't active, and you actually passed away in your lonely apartment, who would think to check on you? I choose not to live with my family members, or in an outside apartment. I chose to live in an active community serving 3 meals a day (I only eat 2 meals a day), attend only activities I really want to such as music at happy hour with or without a drink, and dinner in the dining room as opposed to eating a delivered meal in my lonely apartment. People are active even as little as I am, are much more healthy than those who do not socialize. I do not participate in activities because I don't want to color, sing, make hats, or whatever activities are planned that day. But, I do like to listen to our entertainer Friday afternoons, sing along if I want, and then after dinner go to my apartment. I don't want to socialize any more than that. I did all that years ago, and now it's my turn to relax without responsibility of being here or there at any given time. BUT, I can say, if you are not sociable, can be a scary situation. A resident here a few years ago was not sociable, not active, didn't talk with anyone. Sometimes ate dinner in the dining room. When no one saw him for a few weeks, someone checked on him. He had passed away in his lonely apartment and was there for at least 3 or 4 days before anyone checked on him. Any longer than that without anyone checking on you, could result in having to fumigate the apartment when they put you in the grave!!!. No one should be so alone they don't have anyone who can check on them.
If he was in a care facility, staff should have checked on him, I would think. Isn't that part of what elders sign up for when we choose or are compelled to enter a facility? I'm a quintessential introvert and not much of a socializer, but I would hope to be discovered sooner than 3-4 days if I went missing!
Alzheimers association does the caregiving support group dealing with dementia for their caregivers - it is free and a 6 week course. I go through Brewster on cape Cod . Joan Halifax has courses On caregiving at the Upaya zen center . They are free or By donation . You will get pretty Good advice on this forum . Find a social worker or therapist . Also I went to Community acupuncture and got support there .
First look up whatever illness you have to deal with….alzheimers.org, dementia.com, Parkinson’s.org etc. They will have either links to support groups or an 800# to call to get info on their support groups.
You can try your local Area on Aging (Google them), or possible your Drs office might have some info.
Basically, you get the contact for the group and most times you register with the group, then are given info as to mtg place/time and that’s it, then you either show up for the meeting or sign in on your computer at appointed time for an online group.
I would be very of any support group asking you to sign up for anything. Groups don’t work like that. There are tons of groups both online and in person, and they are extremely helpful. Registration for a group is the norm though, so they have your name, location and what you are dealing with.
Try Meetup.com It’s a free app to connect people in person &/or online. There are loads of caregiver groups (search care giver).
It’s also a great way to find a group to do things you are interested in doing (learn or practice a foreign language, yoga, walking, book club, etc). 🤗
Can you give us an example of a support group that is asking you to "sign up" for something? I would be very suspicious of such a thing. Would love to hear the example and hear what they asked you to sign up for.
Have you tried doing an online search for Parkinson's support groups in your area? The Parkinson's foundation has a search feature, just put in your zipcode. https://www.parkinson.org/your-area
Local hospitals and your husband's doctor may also be able to suggest support groups. Are you looking for something specific to Parkinson's or caregiving in general?
My husband started attending a Parkinson's exercise class at the YMCA and there was an informal group associated with that. We continued to meet once a month via zoom during Covid. And they even had the exercise class over zoom too.
I was about to say - I have tried a locally based twice a month support group for dementia caregivers. But not all of the discussion at those is pertinent to me. However, I find that being active on Agingcare has been the most helpful of all for me!
Contact your MD / social worker as needed.
Try: Next Door
All I got was being pestered with donation links. And no reference to a forum like this one.
I even joined a local group that had regular meetings and each meeting wasted an hour on general health maintenance info and then.....finally... opened the floor to discussion from group members.
THIS place has all the info you might need.
The problem is that dementia and Alzheimers is incurable.
So only individual topics can be useful.
You can try your local Area on Aging (Google them), or possible your Drs office might have some info.
Basically, you get the contact for the group and most times you register with the group, then are given info as to mtg place/time and that’s it, then you either show up for the meeting or sign in on your computer at appointed time for an online group.
I would be very of any support group asking you to sign up for anything. Groups don’t work like that. There are tons of groups both online and in person, and they are extremely helpful. Registration for a group is the norm though, so they have your name, location and what you are dealing with.
It’s a free app to connect people in person &/or online. There are loads of caregiver groups (search care giver).
It’s also a great way to find a group to do things you are interested in doing (learn or practice a foreign language, yoga, walking, book club, etc). 🤗
I would be very suspicious of such a thing.
Would love to hear the example and hear what they asked you to sign up for.
Local hospitals and your husband's doctor may also be able to suggest support groups. Are you looking for something specific to Parkinson's or caregiving in general?
My husband started attending a Parkinson's exercise class at the YMCA and there was an informal group associated with that. We continued to meet once a month via zoom during Covid. And they even had the exercise class over zoom too.
Welcome! 😁