On July 20, we wrote about the need for employer caregiver affinity groups. Fran Melmed writing for TLNT reported on the need for more caregiver affinity groups in the workplace. Citing the Pew Internet Projectäó»s latest study on the social life of health information, Pew found that caregivers use social network sites for updates and gathering information support more than other online social network participants.
On the heels of that is this article from the Herald Tribune that show support groups as lifesavers for caregivers.
Here are some highlights:
- there are two rules in most support groups: personal information is confidential and one person talks at a time.
æ - you learn that you’re not the only one having trouble coping.
æ - when people say “how are you?” they genuinely want to know how you are, instead of focusing only on your loved one,” as one participant said.
æ - As trust grows, people in the group become accountable to each other and often encourage one another to move forward to find solutions.
æ - Support groups specific to the disease your loved one has been diagnosed with are especially beneficial.æ
Check out the article.