Starting a self-help group
One of the ways in which those who provide care find help and relief is when they meet with others in the same situation as themselves. A self-help group provides an opportunity for such meetings to occur.
The purpose of a self-help group is to provide support to the members and thus allow them to cope better by:
- Sharing their feelings and experiences
- Learning more about the disease and giving care
- Giving caregivers an opportunity to talk through problems they are facing or choices they have to make
- Listening to others who share similar feelings and experiences
- Helping others through the sharing of ideas and information and providing support
- Offering caregivers a break and a chance to get out of the house
- Encouraging caregivers to take care of themselves in order to safeguard their health and well being
- Knowing they are not alone
There are many different kinds of self-help groups. No one kind is necessarily better than another. What matters is that they are helpful to those who take part.
When you start a group, you will want to find an approach that is most appropriate for you and the other members of your group. You may use the ideas in the booklet produced by ADI as a starting point, or you may have your own ideas.
For a copy of the booklet Starting a self-help group, please contact the secretariat or download the text now.
