Support Groups
By Robert Goodman, MSW
Geriatric Social Worker
Are you struggling with the loss of a loved one? Are you trying to cope with caring for a person with Alzheimer’s or other illness? Do you need someone to talk to? Well, there is help out there for you. It is not healthy to keep your feelings bottled up. Support Groups provide an opportunity for you to share your feelings, concerns, and ideas with others who are struggling with the same issues as you are.
In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help. The help may take the form of providing and evaluating relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening to and accepting others’ experiences, providing a sympathetic understanding and establishing social networks. A support group may also work to inform the public or engage in advocacy.
Support groups help you realize that you are not alone in struggling with an issue or loss. If you have successfully coped with a challenge in your life, support groups provide you with an opportunity to share your story with others so that they might learn from you.
There are several support groups that meet in Century Village. These include: Alzheimer’s Support Group, meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 1PM. The Faulk Center for Counseling 483-5300 sponsors Sharing and Caring support group every Thursday at 2PM in Room E. We Care (487-2827) sponsors a support group for persons with visual. Watch Channel 63 for contact information on other groups.
Several community organizations offer counseling and sponsor support groups. These include:
Ruth Rales Jewish Family Services 561- 852-3333
Morse Life Neighbors2Neighbors 561-531-9844
Alzheimer’s Association 800-272-3900
American Parkinson’s Disease Association
954-786-2305
Arthritis Foundation
561-833-1133
Mental Health Association 561-712-0584.
MS Society for South Florida 800-344-4867
If you are interested in forming a support group on an issue of concern to you, contact Robert Goodman at We Care 487-2827.
