Caregiver support groups

Karen's widowed 86 year old mother has congestive heart failure. Her mother lives alone in Fort Collins. Karen describes her mom as very cranky. She a part time caregiver, which was quite an accomplishment, given mom’s disposition. Karen’s brother helps a little and Mom always has a smile for him. Karen started attending the caregiver support group and LOVES it. Wants to know about more support group options.

When caregiving for my parents I discovered that it was essential to have a listening ear to serve as a sounding board for my looming decisions, frustrations, exhausted patience, etc.  In talking with other caregivers it became apparent that we all must connect to others for support.  Without compassionate relationships the whole service of love can become too much.  In our local area, the various workshops, meetings, groups, counseling, and even online resources were an obvious form of getting ideas and feedback for what was a constantly shifting and unpredictable caregiving experience.

Since leaving the house was very difficult to plan and frequently not even an option, it was suggested that I place phone numbers with those I considered my support system near the telephone.  I spent a great deal of time on the computer when (virtually captured) indoors so I created a Word document listing my best contacts for support with their email addresses and also some caregiver website links.   That way when I was not able to leave the house for classes or meetings, I still had a way to give myself a little lift and a helping hand of support by connecting with someone who understood my situation.