Help With Care for My Mom & Myself

Diego11b

My mother was recently diagnosed with Dementia. Currently, I have in-home help which I plan to continue as much as we can. I am wondering if anyone knows of support groups (the ones I've found in my area are already full). This is completely new to me and I want to ensure I am doing the best I can for my mother. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

M1

welcome to the forum Diego. This group, though not in person, has been the best support I’ve found. You can do both- your local Alzheimers association chapter will know of support groups near you. Many memory care centers also run support groups so you might call around there too. Read a lot of threads here and you’ll learn a lot. Look under groups, to the right- there is one for new caregivers with a lot of useful information. Biggest task for early on is getting legal and financial matters in order- look for a certified elder law attorney at nelf.org. You’ll want to have durable power of attorney for healthcare and finances.

Diego11b

> @M1 said:
> welcome to the forum Diego. This group, though not in person, has been the best support I’ve found. You can do both- your local Alzheimers association chapter will know of support groups near you. Many memory care centers also run support groups so you might call around there too. Read a lot of threads here and you’ll learn a lot. Look under groups, to the right- there is one for new caregivers with a lot of useful information. Biggest task for early on is getting legal and financial matters in order- look for a certified elder law attorney at nelf.org. You’ll want to have durable power of attorney for healthcare and finances.

Thank you! I thankfully managed to get POA and has helped ease my anxiety due to her finances. I am starting to read the new caregiver tag. Much appreciated.

fmb

Diego, I found a general caregiver support group sponsored by my DH's hospice provider. It is open to the general public; one does not have to have a loved one in their care, nor do they try to 'sell' their services. Of the five of us who have come to the meetings, four of us are dealing with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's with other co-morbidities. The meetings are facilitated by a very knowledgeable and compassionate social worker. This group has been a great help for me.

Anonymousjpl123

You may want to call some of the memory care facilities and see if they have groups that are open to anyone dealing with dementia. Mine does, and I went to one family group and there was absolutely no selling. Also your local alzheimers association chapter should have a listing on their site, with a drop down menu, and i dont think they have space limitations.

mabelgirl

If you’re aarp aged they have many caregiver resources. Also check your health insurance for programs. My moms own LTC insurance provided for care taker training.