Support

There is a lot of support for the family member in charge of care.

As caregivers, we are the better for taking it.

Help is offered in the form of group sessions (now conveniently on Zoom); phone support from trained social workers; and hotline responses for urgent matters.

There are myriad associations offering this invaluable aid. The usual suspects are the Alzheimer’s Association, Lewy Body Dementia Association, and the Mayo Clinic.

Smaller organizations are also at work, including the Lewy Body Dementia Resource Center, which also offers programs for our Lewy afflicted loved ones.

There’s Caring Kind, which trains aides and connects them with the family caregiver for in homecare, and has regularly scheduled groups for support.

Somewhere along the way, I was lucky to discover Caregiver Teleconnections sponsored by the WellMed Charitable Foundation.

Recently, I felt privileged to participate in a focus on the positives of caregiving. The moderators, Elliot Montgomery Sklar and Lucy Barylak, put together an inspirational program.

Another extraordinary support group comes from my local alz.org; it’s a writer’s workshop for caregivers.

Many neurologists will provide either a support group or access to the office social worker in one-on-ones.

My advice is to take the opportunity to talk about the caregiver moment whenever support is offered and as soon as the opportunity arises.

As caregivers, we are the better for taking all the support we can get.