Caregivers often feel excluded. They aren't able to take part in all of the activities they used to participate in because they are busy providing care for a loved one. Maybe you had to quit your tennis league or are no longer able to join your co-workers for happy hour. Whatever the case, you may be feeling isolated. Many caregivers find it beneficial to use chat rooms as a caregiver resource. They are able to connect with others and learn useful information.
No Need to Leave Home
You may not feel you can leave your loved one unattended to go to a local support group meeting. Maybe you just don't have time and need to be able to access the discussion when you have a free minute. Chat rooms provide a similar benefit to support groups without having to go anywhere at a specific time.
Specific to Your Situation
Chat rooms exist for the specific condition or disease your loved one has. For example, you can join a chat room for Alzheimer's caregivers and talk to others that have a loved one with Alzheimer's. The same is true with a variety of diseases and situations. This means you can discuss issues with people facing the same situation you are facing.
Real-Time Discussion
A chat room does provide the opportunity for a real-time discussion. If you are on at the same time as other participants you can have a back and forth dialog. This makes it easy to have questions answered and concerns discussed.
Stay Safe
A few tips for staying safe on a chat room include:
- Make sure you are signing up for a chat room on a reputable website. You should be asked to register before you join.
- Avoid giving out information that identifies you. No need to provide your full name or address.
Joining a chat room will provide you the opportunity to connect with other caregivers facing the same situation. You can participate in the chat room when you have the time. You are not committed to attending at specific times. Many caregivers find this to be a very valuable support system. For more caregiver resources, refer to our Caregiver Toolkit. You can download this toolkit along with our other resources by first finding your local Caring Senior Service.
