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Caregiver Support Groups

© Marci Stocks

Online support groups can be very beneficial to caregivers. They are especially helpful if you cannot make a commitment to go to a support group in your community once a week. But online support is just not easier access, it is much more. You can remain anonymous, you can say whatever you want, you can be honest with yourself. There are several forms of online support: Message Boards, Discussion Groups, and Support Chats. These groups are also known as forums.

MESSAGE BOARDS
Message boards are a place where you can go and leave a message. It can be a question, a statement, or even how you feel at that particular moment. Once you have submitted your entry, others can leave a response for you. The great thing is that you can also answer other people's questions. You may even find that there are other people going through similiar situations that you are going through. The idea is to help one another. If you would like to see what they are about, I have included Message Board links below.

Support-Group.com
This is a fantastic resource for caregivers looking for online support. This web site lists all the topics that you can go to. For caregivers, there is a Caregiver Board, a Dementia Board, and an Alzheimer's Board. Plus, many more topics that may help you depending on your current situation. It is easy to find topics because it is all in alphabetical order.

DISCUSSION GROUPS

Discussion groups are simliar to message boards. However, some sites require that you become a member in order to participate in the discussions. The majority of sites are free to join. Some discussions are held like they are here at Suite101.com or they are held via e-mail.

The Alzheimer Page
This is quite a different kind of discussion group. You sign up and receive information via e-mail. On the main page there are links to the discussion area.

Caregivers Duscussion Group
This group is attached to the wonderful site Caregiving Online. This discussion group is also held via e-mail.

CHAT GROUPS

Chat groups are different then message boards and discussion groups. Chat groups are interactive. You actually chat online with other people. Instead of waiting a couple of days for a response, you may get one within a few seconds. Some groups are scheduled, while others are not. *Note* If you would like for me to schedule a chat session, just send me an e-mail and I will create one on the Suite.