11.23.09
Alzheimer’s Support Groups
Caregiving, especially family caregiving, will probably always involve some level of stress. Having a senior depending on you is a demanding job, often requiring twenty-four hour vigilance. But when Alzheimer’s or other forms of Dementia are involved, the stress and frustration can be magnified for any caregiver.
We have already discussed some very helpful methods of dealing with caregiver stress, and these are tips that will help in dealing with any kind of senior illness, including Alzheimer’s. But one of those tips might be more important for caregivers of memory impaired patients: The support group.
The very idea of support groups can be off putting for many people. The term conjures up images of circles of people who have to share their feelings, like at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. It’s an easy picture to reject. After all, care giving is a good thing. It isn’t an illness or addiction to be worked through. And when all is said and done, you will be fine, right?
Maybe. But Alzheimer’s and Dementia are complex problems with no clear solution. Nobody knows how to perfectly navigate the issues of memory loss, or the ripple effects they can cause in a family. And because it’s so complex, many feel like they are alone. They sense their efforts are not helping, and they ultimately get so stressed out that they burn out.
Support groups can be a wonderful source of information for caregivers. They are very often part of the “pipelines” of new research and strategies for dealing with the disease. Many are linked directly with groups like the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org), which is on the forefront of research, fund raising and information on memory loss.
But the real reason people need support groups is that people need people. And not just any people will do. They need to be around people who understand what they are dealing with. People who have no emotional entanglements with their situation. People who will not judge them. Support groups provide these people. Caregivers can let their guard down and “be real” with other human beings who won’t think less of them for feeling exhausted, helpless or resentful, because they are or have been in the same situation. And if they have come through, they can offer the kind of human insight that no website or book could ever provide.
If you are a care giver for a senior with Alzheimer’s or dementia, you owe it to yourself to find a support network. It will help and your family. Residents of Smith County Texas who are looking for a support group can download a list of groups and schedules at the Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County website.
Residents of the greater Dallas area should go to this page instead. Alzheimer’s support groups for all other regions in the US should go to www.alz.org/apps/findus.asp .
