Help for you, something new, and then two updates for readers
Although there are dozens of resources out there to help families facing Alzheimer’s, I regularly meet caregivers and others who don’t know about the one that has helped me most.
I attend a weekly online support group facilitated and underwritten by HFC (formerly Hilarity for Charity), a nonprofit whose mission is “to care for those impacted by Alzheimer’s disease, activate the next generation of Alzheimer’s advocates, and be a leader in brain health research and education.”
Less stigma, more information
It was founded by the actor Seth Rogen and his wife Lauren Miller Rogen in 2012 after her mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. She told an interviewer that she struggled for information and help at first. “Back then, there was more stigma and less information about dementia than there is today.” HFC is helping to solve both of those problems.
Visit the HFC website to discover the wide range of services and programs they provide. I’ve only begun to explore what they offer, but I tell someone new every week how grateful I am for my weekly chat via Zoom with other caregivers. My group is one of many organized by HFC, and facilitated by an experienced, licensed social worker with decades of experience in caregiver care.
Listen and encourage
For years I had resisted the idea of a support group. “I don’t need to hear others talking about their difficult life with someone whose condition is much worse than Evelyn’s,” I asserted. I’m not sure why I finally relented. Maybe it’s because I’m an extreme extrovert and a verbal processor. I just must talk about all this.
In this hour-long get-together, with eight or 10 others from all over the country, I can talk. Most are farther down this road than I am, it’s true, but that means no question or fear or quandary I face is a shock to them. They listen and encourage and advise. We find support in acknowledging that what we’re experiencing is not unique to us. We’re not alone. And before the discussion is finished, our wonderful facilitator offers an insight borne of experience that I wouldn’t find anywhere else.
They listen and encourage and advise.
Of course, I listen, too. (I admit, sometimes I must work on this. Like I said, I Iike to talk.) I learn from the experiences and discoveries and conclusions of others. More than once I’ve faced something new at home and I remember, “Oh yeah, I’ve heard that this happens.”
No greater blessing
I like the weekly Wednesday-morning appointment, but I have a friend with a fuller calendar than mine who opted instead for a drop-in group offered by HFC. Sometimes when he’s called in, he’s the only one in the group, so he has the trained facilitator all to himself. Think of it—a trained counselor at no charge whenever you need him! I can’t imagine a greater blessing.
So spread the word. Every Alzheimer’s caregiver should know about HFC.
Something New
You may notice I’ve added a new category of posts with this one: Resources. I am not, nor do I intend to become, an expert on Alzheimer’s. But when I come across a help like HFC that’s made a difference in my journey, I will share it here.
But I don’t want this category to replace the Shared Stories that have been appearing on Fridays. If you are or have been a caregiver, please consider writing a few paragraphs to tell us what that experience meant or means to you.
What have you learned in the process?
What questions still plague you?
What overwhelms you?
What helps?
What gives you hope, or at least relief?
Many have written to say how much the Shared Stories have meant to them. I know there are more out there to tell.
Our subscriber list is growing. I assure you this is not a marketing strategy. I’m not building a brand or selling T-shirts or raising money. I’m just exercising my need to talk by talking about my experience online. I link to each post on Facebook, but we all know Facebook has its limits. Subscribers get each new post delivered to their inboxes. Maybe you’d like to join them.