Social support for elderly
July 19, 2018 4:41 PM Subscribe
My mother would benefit from a support group. Do you know any Facebook groups for the elderly or free telephonic support groups that don't involve residency requirements? She needs more than nostalgic exchanges of pop culture references and grandbaby pictures.
Her health is failing and she's going through some situational depression from loss of mobility, a difficult experience in the emergency room, adjusting to worsening health. She needs to vent with her peers. She also has a chronic autoimmune illness but feels that "others have it worse" and that it's less that particular illness and more the multiple issues happening at once that are the problem. Her doctor is helping her get set up with therapy but I want to see what other resources I can find. She's good with Facebook. She can manage phone based groups probably. Local groups would be a challenge. Any ideas for tech savvy seniors that need to share their grief?
Her health is failing and she's going through some situational depression from loss of mobility, a difficult experience in the emergency room, adjusting to worsening health. She needs to vent with her peers. She also has a chronic autoimmune illness but feels that "others have it worse" and that it's less that particular illness and more the multiple issues happening at once that are the problem. Her doctor is helping her get set up with therapy but I want to see what other resources I can find. She's good with Facebook. She can manage phone based groups probably. Local groups would be a challenge. Any ideas for tech savvy seniors that need to share their grief?
Response by poster: That's the problem. It's grief about her own non-person losses. Normal stage of development. Possibly needing to move, less mobility, people she knows dying (but the grief is self focused), losing the chance to watch her grandson because it is no longer safe, pain issues, autoimmune issues.
I'm seeking more a general social support group for seniors coping with life changes such as worsening health and loss of Independence. If she had one major issue a group would be easier to find.
Most of what I am finding is billed as lighthearted and she needs a place where mutual dumping of heavy emotion is acceptable.
posted by crunchy potato at 5:09 PM on July 19, 2018
I'm seeking more a general social support group for seniors coping with life changes such as worsening health and loss of Independence. If she had one major issue a group would be easier to find.
Most of what I am finding is billed as lighthearted and she needs a place where mutual dumping of heavy emotion is acceptable.
posted by crunchy potato at 5:09 PM on July 19, 2018
If she had one major issue a group would be easier to find.
If she's at all open to multiple groups, that might be her best bet.
Also, some groups are secret, but people in a group for her autoimmune condition or for chronic pain might be willing to introduce her to other groups once she's known.
posted by yohko at 9:35 PM on July 19, 2018
If she's at all open to multiple groups, that might be her best bet.
Also, some groups are secret, but people in a group for her autoimmune condition or for chronic pain might be willing to introduce her to other groups once she's known.
posted by yohko at 9:35 PM on July 19, 2018
The Friendship Line is a 24 hr crisis line and warm line for seniors; there are trained volunteers who will talk to her and provide emotional support and/or just let her vent. They also make outgoing calls to check in on folks, and have a referral service that could help her find groups in her area.
posted by assenav at 11:08 PM on July 19, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by assenav at 11:08 PM on July 19, 2018 [3 favorites]
Does she craft at all? Some sections of Ravelry are pretty good for heavy dumping of emotion.
Could also try Gransnet - they run online forums in partnership with the UK charity Age UK.
posted by paduasoy at 2:21 AM on July 20, 2018
Could also try Gransnet - they run online forums in partnership with the UK charity Age UK.
posted by paduasoy at 2:21 AM on July 20, 2018
I’m working on a team organizing support groups for parents to battle the new mom isolation. Very simple premise: moms sign up and get reminders / invitations to a series of free zoom video calls in triads. The calls are slightly structured to ensure high quality listening so each person can share what they’re dealing with and know they’ve been heard.
Your question makes me think that a similar structure could be useful to seniors, too.
What do you think?
posted by andreinla at 9:15 AM on July 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
Your question makes me think that a similar structure could be useful to seniors, too.
What do you think?
posted by andreinla at 9:15 AM on July 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
You might inquire at your local UJA-Federation. One does not have to be Jewish to receive services, and they may well know of telephone support groups. Also try googling for "homebound" senior services, even though your mom is not homebound, because that's where a lot of the non-IRL options are.
posted by 8603 at 5:05 PM on July 20, 2018
posted by 8603 at 5:05 PM on July 20, 2018
If you are in the US, try googling/contacting Council on Aging in your county. They may have something like a friendship line. They should have support services for your mom and for you, too.
Best of luck to you!
posted by goodsearch at 11:22 PM on July 20, 2018
Best of luck to you!
posted by goodsearch at 11:22 PM on July 20, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
You don't mention grief elsewhere in your question, so what sort of grief exactly? A death, or grief for her own health?
There's a lot of different types of support groups so you'll probably get better answers if you can be more specific.
posted by yohko at 4:55 PM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]