How to Find Support Groups for Caregivers Who's Spouses Have Severe Tramatic Brain Injuries

Often a caregiver feels isolated and like they're carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. Help is out there, but it's not always easy to find. Here are some ways to track down help.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• internet
• phone book

1. First ask the patient's doctor if there is a support group nearby. Often they are aware of these or they are sponsored by the hospital.
2. Call the local social services (check the yellow pages) to see if they know of any support groups.
3. Call 211 if it is available in the area. It connects people to community services. The implementation of 2-1-1 is being spear headed by United Ways and comprehensive and specialized information and referral agencies in states and local communities, but is not in all areas yet. Check the link below for it.
4. Search the internet with keyword combinations like "brain injury caregiver" and "brain injury" + "support group." Browse the sites and follow links to possible discussion groups and support groups.
5. Check at the public library to see if they have a referral service. Often they keep information on local agencies or can give you leads. They might also have directories for national organizations relating to brain injury. Follow up on those leads.
6. If there is no group in your area, talk to the doctor or hospital about getting one started. They could provide a meeting space and distribute information about the group's start-up to other patients and caregivers with the same problem. Most public libraries also have free meeting space for community groups.

Tips & Warnings

• Much of the searching can be done by phone or from home using the internet.
• Don't give up after the first few dead ends. Keep trying until you find what you need.