A family caregiver provides any type of care for aging parents, grandparents, a disabled spouse, or another family member. Being a family caregiver could be exhausting due to the number of roles they has to play – caring for the loved one, providing for one’s own family, all while meeting the demands of working and running a household. Caregivers rarely receive the praise they deserve and often forget to take care of themselves. Caregiver Support Group creates a small community of people struggling through similar challenges.
Caregiver Stresses
It’s common for caregivers to feel stressed, overwhelmed, exhausted, and simply burned out. They may also feel angry, sad, guilty, or worried. No matter the type of care the caregiver provides – from daily check-ins, financial assistance and budgeting, cleaning and laundry, to more intensive physical care and hygiene – they can probably use extra help and support.
Small Therapy Group for Family Caregivers
Therapy Group for Family Caregivers is offered periodically as a 1.5 hours per week education and resource group for the family caregiver who needs more than support. The group creates a safe place where caregivers can talk honestly about their struggles with other family caregivers who truly understand, encourage each other, share resources, and stamp out loneliness. Using a combination of lecture and group discussion, we focus on the following topics:
- Caregiver Health, Stress, and Burnout
- Self-Care and Coping Skills
- Role Reversal: The Relationship between Caregiver and Care-Recipient
- Conflict with Family Members Over Care
- The Caregiving Superhero: Learning to Ask For and Accept Help from Others
- The Spiritual Gifts and Burdens of Caregiving
As a member of Therapy Group for Family Caregivers, you will…
- Learn how to manage the intense, often polarized thoughts and feelings that come with being a family caregiver.
- Learn how to implement coping skills that make the caregiving role less stressful.
- Learn how to ask for help and distribute tasks among other family members.
- Learn organizational skills to help keep your life balanced, in spite of caregiving demands.
Each group is limited to 8 participants. If you or someone you know is interested in joining Elaine’s group, please contact Elaine Korngold, LPC, for more details.