Caregiver support groups: Care tips, respite, and camaraderie, too
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Highlights
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There’s nothing quite like being with people who are walking the same walk as you – that’s the underlying reason for joining a caregiver support group. It’s friendly, comforting, and even at your first meeting, no one is a stranger – you all have something in common.
Advantages to being in a caregiver support group
- Creates a regular venue for camaraderie with others in the same caregiving role
- Provides a chance to get a brief respite from caregiving duties
- Provides cancer-specific information
- Allows people to meet other caregivers and forge friendships
- Offers caregiving tips that only caregivers can provide
- Allows both powerful emotions and laughter to be shared
Caregiver support groups may be formal and focus on learning about cancer or dealing with feelings; others are informal and social. Groups may meet for a predetermine length of time or they may be ongoing.
Peer caregiver groups are the most common.
As the title implies, this type of caregiver group consists of those who have similar experiences. Some would say this type of group provides the best experts – other caregivers who have been through the cancer experience.
Peer support groups can provide comfort, companionship, a safe place to go with fear, guilt, and depression, and an exchange of “best caregiver practices.” Not only is the peer network supportive, but it can also be fun and powerful. Laughing about the “weird” experiences one has as a caregiver is best done with others who have walked in the same shoes.
Some groups are organized by type or stage of cancer.
For example, caregivers for women (or even men) with breast cancer may be able to learn helpful caregiving tips from one another that are pertinent to that particular type of cancer. This type of grouping often seems more natural and enables people to address common issues more effectively.
Other caregiver groups are organized around the stage of the cancer the caregivers’ loved ones are in. Some would say this is the most important distinction in choosing a support group because the issues that arise for people caring for patients with a new diagnosis are different than for those caring for patients who have recurrent or end-stage cancer.
Some have closed membership, others have open membership.
Open-ended groups are set up to allow anyone with cancer or their family members or caregivers to attend, often for an indefinite period of time. Generally, the group’s membership will change with each group meeting. Therefore, if you are interested in consistent or intimate relationships or friendships, this might not be your first choice for a group. However, if you are unable to commit regularly to a group, this type of group might be perfect for your current life situation.
Closed groups are those in which the same people meet for a prescribed period of time. Once the group achieves a certain number or mix, it closes to new members. The advantage of this type of group is the consistency of the group members and their opportunity to get to know one another well and therefore support each other fully.
To find a support group in your area, click here.
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