What can a support group do for you?

It's an escape from the social isolation of caregiving.

For one thing, caregiver support groups can help break the social isolation that many caregivers experience.

“People who are caregiving don’t always find that the other people in their lives really understand what they’re dealing with,” says Catherine Engstrom, a caregiving social worker at the Wilder Community Center for Aging in Saint Paul.

Your friends and co-workers may mean well. But they most likely can't offer the same support and understanding that you get from people who are going through similar experiences.

“A lot of caregivers find they can go to a support group and feel like they’re not alone,” Engstrom says.

It's a safe place to vent.

If you’re like many caregivers, you may feel like you don’t have a safe space to vent in your daily life. It’s completely normal to experience negative feelings. But bottling those up won't do you or your loved one any good, says Adele Mehta, director of senior outreach and caregiver services at Senior Community Services in Minnetonka.

A caregiver support group can offer you the much-needed opportunity to say what’s on your mind without feeling like you’re driving people away.

“Expressing negative feelings is easier in a group like that because other people feel or have felt those feelings as well,” Mehta says.

It's an opportunity to share resources.

A caregiver support group is also a great place to find resources. Members often share tips and tricks based on their experiences, as well as recommendations for things like home care agencies and health care professionals. And if there’s a topic that support group members are interested in learning more about, the facilitator can usually provide resources, Mehta says.