Being a caregiver can make you feel isolated and alone, even if you know there are other caregivers doing what you’re doing. Your daily life simply doesn’t allow you to meet with others facing the same challenges you’re facing.
This is when online blogs, forums and organizations can offer insights that make a big difference. Many caregivers today share their experiences online and you can become part of an online community that offers the kind of support you need.
Personal blogs
The Caregiver Warrior Blog was started by Susanne White as a result of her own struggles as a caregiver. She had to step in to help her father care for her mother who was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. She battled to find the resources she needed and decided to start the blog. She shares her personal experiences, the survival strategies she developed as well as the lessons she learned. She also offers resources, including inspirational stories, products that made her life easier, and organizations that helped her.
MariaShriver.com has a commitment to service and her experience of caring for her own parents means she has plenty of interesting content on her website for caregivers. For example, you can read the story of Sean Hayes who cared for his mother with Alzheimer’s. Find out more about her Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement that challenges organizations to do research on women’s brains to defeat this global epidemic.
Transition aging parents is a blog that provides insight and information to adult children of aging parents. Dale Carter is a writer, speaker and long-distance caregiver and she believes in informed caregiving. She features bloggers who touch on every aspect of caregiving, from practical issues such as housing and finances to emotional issues such as how to deal with the grieving process.
In-home care
Tandem Careplanning helps caregivers to create a customized Care Plan. They can select and hire a primary caregiver, along with up to four back-ups. It is possible to automatically schedule shifts, manage care, and receive updates using their online account. Every caregiver featured on the website goes through a careful screening process.
Family caregiving websites
Daily Caring won an award in 2019 as the best caregiver website. It is easy to navigate with comprehensive articles on topics ranging from daily care to caregiver stress. It also covers senior health, senior housing, finances, and legal issues. It was created for caregivers struggling to take care of aged parents and gives them practical and useful tips and resources. It helps to solve those frustrating problems that keep caregivers up at night or cause them to lose their tempers.
Caregiver Action Network (CAN) offers advice for new caregivers as well as experienced ones. It addresses specific challenges, such as working and caregiving, as well as long-distance caregiving. Topics on the forum include dealing with caregiver depression, working through isolation and frustration as well as offering technical and practical advice for caregivers.
AARP’s Family Caregiving Website has experts writing about every conceivable topic. Find out more about in-home care, life balance, long term care and Medicare. Get access to legal advice about issues such as an advance directive or a living will. Learn crafty ways to solve everyday problems.
Caregiving.com includes blogs for caregivers, free webinars, daily chats and much more. If you’re looking for a sense of community with other caregivers, you will find it here.
Carers Trust is a charity dedicated to improving support, recognition and services for anyone who is not being paid to take care of family members or friends. It deals with questions such as how to chat with other caregivers online, how to get a break and what support is available.