Over the years I've come to have a glimpse of how many people here have been in the role of being a care-giver for a loved one, in one capacity or another. Much of my experience has concerned being a care-provider for someone with age-related dementia, but I know there are others who have been in that role for a loved one with cancer, or heart disease, or some other illness. There are those who care for someone who has been injured or born with congenital problems. Sometimes that care-giving role is brief. Sometimes it lasts for years or even decades.
When you think about it, almost all of us will find ourselves in the role of being a care-provider at some point, either directly or remotely. Just as almost all of us will need some help ourselves sometime in our lives. But surprisingly, as I discovered when I went looking for a group to announce the book GreyHawk and I just published, there isn't a group here devoted to the needs and experience of care-providers. Let's change that.
If you're interested in joining and helping to build such a group, drop me a message or post a comment. For right now, GreyHawk and I are the admins for the group, just to get things rolling. But neither of us wants to be "in charge" particularly - if you have executive skills you'd like to put to work for this group, let us know. Likewise, if you want to be an 'editor' just say the word - this is all going to be very open and informal.
What I'd like to see the group do is to function as a support group and an information resource. We may just have "open thread" discussions, or reprint pertinent diaries from such groups as KosAbility or The Grieving Room or Surviving Alzheimers or any other appropriate group. Maybe we want to have a regular series of specific topic diaries. Or compile a list of good books for care-givers. Or just share our individual stories. Or list good online resources.
Whatever works - we can be here for each other. We can work together to help make things a little easier for anyone in this role. I'm open to suggestions and the group consensus - please, toss out your thoughts and ideas.
We're all in this together. Sometimes it is easy to forget that when you're a care-provider. But this community helped me when I was in that role, and now I want to return the favor.