Caregiver Support Groups

• Your caregiver support options

• Have you reached caregiver burnout?
• Support groups offer a safe space
• You're not alone
• How to find a caregiver support group

Your caregiver support options

Caregiving can be isolating. It's just you and your loved one, often for hours or days at a time. Family may help occasionally, but few people really grasp what you're managing day to day.

The emotional toll is real. Within a single day you might feel fear, anger, hope, sadness, humor, grief, and exhaustion—sometimes all at once. Underneath it all is the love that keeps you going, which can feel heavier than anything else.

Research confirms what many caregivers already know: the work takes a physical toll. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that spouses caring for elderly partners face higher mortality rates, directly linked to the stress of caregiving.

Have you reached caregiver burnout?

Caregiver burnout is beyond fatigue. It's complete exhaustion—physical, emotional, and spiritual—where you feel you cannot continue. At this point, you're managing two people who need care: your loved one and yourself.

Support groups offer a safe space

Support groups are one practical step to prevent burnout. They give you a place to share what you're feeling, listen to others facing similar situations, swap advice, and get practical tips. Groups exist for nearly every caregiving scenario: specific diseases, mental health concerns, and other challenges.

You're not alone

A key benefit of support groups is realizing others feel what you feel. You also connect with people who've already solved problems you're facing now. Many caregivers rely on these peer networks more than on doctors or social workers for real help.

How to find a caregiver support group

Support groups are available through several channels:

• Ask other caregivers you know. Word of mouth works best.
• Check local chapters of disease-specific organizations like the Alzheimer's Association or Multiple Sclerosis Society.
• Contact the American Self-Help Clearinghouse.
• Call your local religious service agencies.
• Contact your Area Agency on Aging.
• Talk to the social service department at your hospital.
• The Well Spouse Foundation (800-838-0879) maintains a list of support groups by region.
• Children of Aging Parents – National Self-Help Clearinghouse (212-354-8525) also lists caregiver support groups.