Caregivers And COPD: Finding A Support Group

When caregivers find support for themselves, they can better support their loved ones.

Caregivers are special people. They take on the role of loving aid and advocate for the people they are helping.

While having COPD is difficult for the person diagnosed with it, caring for a loved one with COPD is also challenging.

Because caregivers spend a lot of time taking care of their loved ones, sometimes they may forget to take care of themselves. Participating in support groups for caregivers may help you feel better in a variety of ways.

How to Find Local Support

Perhaps you have helped your loved one find a good lung disease support group, and now, you’re ready to find some support of your own.

Caregivers need to be sure they are taking good care of themselves and receiving the support they need in order to best help their loved ones who are dealing with lung disease.

However, sometimes finding the time to search for the right support group for you can be challenging. We’ve done some research and found a few resources that you might find helpful.

Local resources can be found in a variety of ways, such as asking your physician for recommendations of support groups for caregivers and searching online.

Finding Support Online

Although there are a variety of support groups online, Caregiver.com offers a list of support groups which can be filtered by state, and each group has a description.

Family Caregiver Alliance is a national center on caregiving, and it also provides a few support group options, such as the Caregiver Online Group.

Another online support group is COPD-Support, and it offers a variety of programs where patients and caregivers can talk with each other and share experiences.

Sometimes the everyday tasks can become overwhelming, so having someone who has experienced a similar situation could help you learn new coping techniques.

Family support can also act as a type of support group. Even if you’re asking for something simple like taking your loved one to a medical appointment or cooking a meal, allowing others to help you and your loved one gives everyone the chance to participate.

Support Comes in Lots of Forms

At the Lung Institute, we want to support people living with chronic lung disease as well as the caregivers. We understand how difficult lung disease can be and how it affects the patient and the family members.

Staying educated about your loved one’s condition, participating in support groups for caregivers and trying your doctors recommended treatment options which may help improve your and your loved one’s quality of life.