THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT

Caregiving is a stressful job. Caregivers often feel alone and isolated from the outside world, and many times they neglect their own physical and emotional needs to care for their loved one. This can eventually lead to illness and depression.

To help combat the stresses of caregiving, caregivers should seek out social support. Social support encompasses the various types of help that people can receive from others. This may include physical, psychological and even financial help. A social support network can be made up of family, friends, co-workers and other community members. It can be found in the form of a support group made up of other caregivers or a team of family and friends ready to pitch in. No matter what form, a social support network can be a lifeline to a caregiver. It can provide the caregiver with a sense of belonging and increased self-worth.

The stroke survivor can also benefit from social support. Joining a support group can give them the opportunity to talk with other stroke survivors. It can also give the survivor a chance to get out of the house and make new friends, to share his/her experiences and vent frustrations. Friends and family can also provide support by visiting with the survivor and involving him or her in social activities.

Establishing a social support network early on is important. There are several resources that can help caregivers keep family members and friends informed about the stroke survivor’s recovery, as well as help the caregiver identify those who can lend a hand. They include CaringBridge.org and Lotsa Helping Hands (a service of Empowering Caregivers).

CaringBridge.org is a free, personalized website that connects family and friends during a serious health event. CaringBridge makes it easier to share health updates and receive messages of love and support. Visit: www.caringbridge.org (Site also available in Spanish.)

Lotsa Helping Hands is a private, web-based caregiving coordination service that lets family, friends, neighbors and colleagues create a community and assist with the daily tasks that become a challenge when caring for an aging loved one or during long-term caregiving. Visit: www.lotsahelpinghands.com

Each community includes an intuitive group calendar for scheduling tasks such as coverage of transportation to medical appointments, a platform for securely sharing vital medical, financial, and legal information with designated family members, and customizable sections for posting photos, well wishes, blogs, journals, and messages. Now, when someone asks “What can I do to help?” the answer is “Give me your name and email address” – the system takes over and allows people to sign up and start helping.

“From helping you build a support network or explaining the latest treatments,
to raising awareness about rehabilitation options, we're here for you.”

The American Heart Association (AHA)/American Stroke Association (ASA) publish a bimonthly magazine for stroke survivors, caregivers, family members and healthcare professionals called Stroke Connection.

Stroke Connection contains articles about the trials and tribulations faced by stroke survivors and their caregivers, as well as inspiring stories of stroke recovery. The magazine features tips for daily living from healthcare professionals and other stroke survivors and provides in-depth information about common stroke-related conditions such as aphasia, central pain, high blood pressure, depression, and diabetes. Stroke Connection keeps readers informed about “how to cope, how to reduce your risk of stroke and how to make the most of each day.”

Some articles from 2009 include:

• Reclaiming Self-Esteem: two experts discuss emotional recovery and social reintegration after stroke and the devastating impact stroke may have on the self-esteem of survivors,
• Finding Help When You Feel Helpless: using patient advocates to help with issues that come up related to medical care and treatment,
• A Stroke of Insight: The story of Jill Bolte Taylor, PhD, a Harvard-trained brain scientist who suffered a rare form of stroke.

Stroke Connection magazine is published six times a year and is available
in both a print and electronic format.
Click here to view a Jan/Feb 2010 issue in electronic format.

For more information about Stroke Connection magazine and how to subscribe, visit:
http://www.strokeassociation.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2533

The RESCUE project fact sheet titled “Get Help from Your Family, Friends and Community” contains information to assist the caregiver in getting the help that they need from others. Caregiving can be a full-time job. Many caregivers also work outside of the home. That is why it is important for caregivers to make a list of what tasks they need help with.

Tasks where assistance would be appreciated can include:

• Household chores: cooking, washing and folding clothes, housekeeping, home repair and lawn care
• Other help: transportation to medical visits, shopping, information gathering (on available support and services)
• Social visits: visiting with the stroke survivor so that the caregiver can take a break

The “Get Help from Your Family, Friends and Community” fact sheet also identifies other resources that the caregiver can use to find assistance in their area.

• National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA): http://www.nfcacares.org/connecting_caregivers/
• Faith in Action Volunteers (FCA): http://www.fianationalnetwork.org/find-fia-program.cfm
• Family Caregiver Alliance: http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=347

My HealtheVet, the VA Health Care Portal, has created a special area in the Healthy Living Center called "Smoking and Tobacco Use Cessation". This area contains links to helpful information about kicking the tobacco habit, including how to get started. There is also a link to the Support and Encouragement page, which features success stories of Veterans who have quit smoking, and stresses that social support from family and friends is very motivating and plays an important role in changing behavior.

To access the Smoking and Tobacco Use Cessation section of My HealtheVet

visit www.myhealth.va.gov, then click on:

TAB AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE

then click

TAB AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE

then click