Caregiver Support Websites Grow
Online Communities Increase Resources for Older Adult Caregivers
Online communities are a uniquely situated resource for caregivers of older adults to access for information and connections; highlighted are three informative websites
Online support communities are nothing new, and the realm of caregiving is a natural next venue as an estimated 44 million Americans are currently in this position, according to figures from the National Alliance for Caregiving. Given that Census data indicates that people over 65 years of age are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population, this number is expected to rise, as are the needs of both the caregivers and recipients.
Caregiver Background
According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, a caregiver is “anyone who provides basic assistance and care for someone who is frail, disabled or ill and needs help.” The tasks of caregiving range from providing highly personal care around the clock to supporting an older relative by phone and arranging for others to provide care from a distance. The traditional social service model of providing services from 9-to-5, Monday through Friday, does not typically fit the realities of caregivers as they often meet multiple demands, with limited time and ability to leave the home.
For these reasons and more, caregiving for older adults presents unique issues that require targeted support where and when it is convenient for the caregiver. Online communities have begun to fill this need as web sites for caregivers provides 24/7 access to resources, information, and support.
Here are several websites that provide a range of information, assistance, and connections for individuals caring for older adults. each online community differs by caregiver emphasis, data tools, and disease focus. Each online community has no cost to join but registration is required to access the entirety of information. Site registration is beneficial for the user as the sites will remember previous settings and any stored information, as well as create a limited filter for genuine users.
Online Communities for Caregivers
CAREgivinghelp is a project of Council for Jewish Elderly (CJE) in Chicago, IL. The web site was developed with through a pilot project with extensive caregiver feedback and provides directed information and validation about topics including personal care, memory loss, handling difficult behaviors, relationship changes, and stress reduction. In addition to a FAQs page, the web site includes text and video modules with advice for adapting to changing caregiving situations, a searchable and interactive message board and “Ask a Geriatric Care Specialist” page, and access to CJE’s searchable database of Chicago-area programs and services, as well as other national resources. "Guest" registration is accessible.
ShirleyBOARD is an online community with tools and features to help those caring for aging loved ones stay organized and communicate with one another. The site allows caregivers to centrally store important information, keep a log of daily activities for family and friends to view, and network with other caregivers for support and inspiration. Other tools include an online journal, photo keeper for sharing photos, page for prescription information recording including names of medicines, dose sizes, and date prescribed, and document keeper for uploading wills, power of attorney forms and other important documents. The Be a Peer/Find a Peer page allows users to search for fellow caregivers to get assistance, ask questions and share tips and stories. ShirleyBOARD.com recently received an award of excellence from the Web Marketing Association.
The Alzheimer’s Association web site includes a section specifically devoted to caregivers. The caregivers pages include a message board and resources section, text modules that address changing issues such as daily care and behavior, instruction about financial needs and suggestions for where to get further help, and personal stories from caregivers and individuals with Alzheimer’s. The specificity of the Alzheimer’s Association caregiver online community is valuable because of many unique issues these individuals face in addition to normal aging changes.
These sites are just a few examples of relevant online communities, and represent a range of available resources. The recent and rapid growth of quality websites specifically for the caregiver community is a testament to the power of online communities. In addition to the extensive information for caregivers available on websites such as AARP and the Administration on Aging, these communities provide a specific focus for connections between caregivers.
Sources:
National Alliance for Caregiving
Family Caregiver Alliance
