Hey there, I'm new!

[tc30728573]

Hi, I'm a new caregiver from Dallas, TX. I'm looking for any advice on how to make local caregiver friends, what has worked for you?

[EllenR643118]

pls pardon me for putting in, but where can I get help to use the forums?

Every topic I click on, I wind up in the middle of a conversation.

Thank you,

and apologies.

[VickiM68]

Hi @EllenR643118,

To see the original post on each thread you click on, scroll to the very bottom of the page. If there are multiple pages, click on the "1" to see the first page where the topic began.

You can also get help on questions in the AARP Help forum: https://community.aarp.org/t5/General-Help/bd-p/GeneralHelp

[agoyer]

@tc30728573  Hi! I agree with Jen - it has actually been easier for me to connect with caregivers online because I generally have needed to connect at night after my parents were in bed! 

Another option is connecting with caregivers of your loved ones' friends. I connected with the daughter of a woman who lived in the senior community where my parents lived. She became a close friend and one of my greatest supports (and vice versa). 

Support groups are really one of the greatest ways to connect with other caregivers. You can contact your local Dallas Area Agency on Aging at (214) 379-4636 and ask for a list of local caregiver support groups, as well as any special events for caregivers. I speak at a lot of local caregiving events - forums, summits, conferences, resource fairs - across the country and going to one of those is a great way to meet other caregivers! Be sure to get contact info and stay in touch!

If your loved one is receiving any services, the agencies that are providing services may also host caregiver support groups or events for caregivers.

There are also Facebook caregiving groups that are helpful - just do a search on facebook for "caregiving" or the disease/conditions your loved ones have (i.e. "Alzheimers, stroke, heart disease, diabetes etc.)

Start networking! I've found that all caregivers are so busy, it's great if you can at least have one or two other caregivers you can stay in touch with - people may drop out of touch for time periods when crises occur but just stay in touch with an encouraging word! 

Take care,

Amy Goyer, AARP Family & Caregiving Expert

Author, Juggling Life, Work and Caregiving and

Color Your Way Content When Caring for Loved Ones

[AmandaSingleton]

Hi TC:  It's great that you've connected in with this forum!  Although many of us won't be local to you, it's still nice to have a "place" to go to feel that caregiver camaraderie.    Aside from support groups, look into groups that are focused around your type of caregiving (if your care partner has dementia, perhaps a Memory Cafe, for example).  You could start a MeetUp group locally for others who are walking a similar road as yours.  I connected with other caregivers by talking to people in hospitals, waiting rooms, and during the long days of chemo.  It was a nice distraction and I made a few inter-generational friendships that I truly preferred at the time (there weren't may of my peers who could relate to cancer caregiving, but many of my elders could).  Please keep us posted on how things are going for you! 

With best regards,

Amanda

[Jen]

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@tc30728573 wrote:

Hi, I'm a new caregiver from Dallas, TX. I'm looking for any advice on how to make local caregiver friends, what has worked for you?

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Hi @tc30728573 and welcome! Please share with us your caregiving story. We would love to hear about it. While we wait for other caregivers to provide information on what has worked with them, I wanted you to be aware of our Texas State Caregiving Resource Guide. The free brochure, that you can download and print out, includes local, state and national careigivng information and resources. 

I hope you find this helpful and please share your story with us.