There's rarely any opportunity for respite as a caregiver, so how do you avoid going insane and try and get some downtime? What do you wish you had but don't?

🌟 Attention Family Caregivers! 🌟

Are you a family caregiver of an older adult (65+) with a chronic illness and have used ChatGPT or similar AI tools? We want to hear from YOU!

We’re conducting a research study to explore how family caregivers perceive and experience using ChatGPT as part of their caregiving role. If you’re interested in sharing your experiences and contributing to this important research, we invite you to participate in a virtual interview (30-45 minutes).

✅ Participants will receive:

• A short, confidential demographic survey
• An opportunity to discuss how ChatGPT has helped or posed challenges in caregiving tasks like information-seeking, emotional support, and care coordination.

We’re seeking 20 caregivers, and your input can help shape the future of caregiving technologies! 💡

If you have any questions or are interested, feel free to reach out to: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

Hi, I messaged modmail a few weeks ago regarding approval for a post and was wondering if a group moderator could please get in touch with me. I’d really appreciate it. Thank you!!

Hello everyone,

I hope you don’t mind me posting here.

I’m a masters student at The University of Liverpool. I’m currently conducting a research study looking at the experiences of people who cared for a spouse or parent who lived with dementia and who are now bereaved.

I’m really interested in understanding what that journey was like for people, both during the caring role and afterwards, especially around emotions and support.

If anyone feels comfortable taking part, it would involve a brief call followed by a confidential interview (teams or phone). There is absolutely no pressure to take part, and you wouldn’t have to share anything you didn’t want to.

I’ve also attached a poster with more details. If you’d like to take part, just send us an email, scan the QR code on the poster, or click this link: https://livpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b9LhpMcftWn3YnY

If you know anyone who may be interested in taking part please share this post and/ or poster with them.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

hi all, bit of an odd one but im hoping some of you have been through this. i look after my nan full time, shes 76 and has early dementia. im trying to get her facial and body hair sorted properly so it just becomes part of her routine and stays that way, but im struggling and could really use advice from people whove done this for their own gran or mum rather than me just guessing off amazon reviews.

what im trying to do: i want two separate tools, one for her face and one for her body. mainly for hygiene reasons, i dont want the same blade going from her underarm/intimate area up to her face. and honestly two different tools means she wont get them muddled up on a forgetful day either. both need to be fully waterproof, like actually usable in the shower waterproof. thats a must for me. keeps them clean and means the body one just fits into the shower she already has every day instead of being another thing to remember.

i also really want them to be AA or AAA battery, not the built in rechargeable type. i want to set this up and not worry about it for years, and a normal battery you can just swap. the rechargeable ones die eventually and then your stuck.

weight wise shes not frail or anything but it still needs to be light enough to be comfy for a woman her age, nothing heavy or awkward to hold. and it has to be gentle, no epilators or waxing, pain just upsets and confuses her and i need her to be comfortable and happy doing it.

heres the bit thats doing my head in though. every time i find something decent i realise i probably wont be able to buy the same one again in a year or two, they keep discontinuing models and bringing out slightly different ones. same with the little blades/foils, half of them are only sold by random third party sellers or cost nearly as much as a whole new machine. im not after anything fancy, i just want a couple of tools i can keep re buying, the unit and the bits for it, so once shes used to them the routine doesnt fall apart because something vanished off the shelves.

so if youve been here:

what face tool actually held up for your elderly relative and stayed available long enough to buy again? bonus if its AA/AAA and gentle on older thinner skin. what waterproof lady shaver worked for underarms and intimate area without irritation, used in the shower?

how did you deal with the whole "cant buy it again later" thing, did you just buy a couple of spares up front or did you find a brand thats actually consistent?

We live in the UK, thanks.

I built a phone assistant for my grandpa called Donna with my friend in our spare time. He loves the Detroit Tigers but could never remember when they were playing. My mom, my uncles, and I would call to remind him, but the Tigers play 162+ games per year, so we’d still miss a lot. We built Donna to call right before the games would start and remind him to tune in. It worked great, and now we’ve got a lot of other families setting it up and their elderly loved ones are loving it.

For seniors it’s super easy - Donna just calls their phone at times you set / they can call Donna whenever to chat, ask questions about what’s going on in the world (kinda like Siri), etc.

My mom and I primarily care for my grandpa and call and visit often, but there are inevitably lots of quiet hours where things slip through the cracks.

Doing this in my spare time right now and it’s a totally free beta - just having a blast building it and seeing how seniors are loving it. The more people that try it and tell me what they really think, what works, what doesn't, what's missing, the better we can make it. I just ask people who try it to DM me their thoughts

📱 Download: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6762152100
(You'll need an iPhone to set it up; your loved one can use any phone, cell or landline.)

As a caregiver, I’ve noticed something strange.

The phone rings and my body reacts before my brain does.

My stomach drops.

My mind immediately starts running through worst-case scenarios.

Did they fall?

Are they in the hospital?

Is everything about to change again?

Most of the time, it’s nothing.

But after years of caregiving, it feels like my nervous system is always preparing for impact.

It made me realize something:

Sometimes we’re not carrying illness.

We’re carrying fear.

Responsibility.

Grief.

History.

I’m curious:

Have any other caregivers found themselves carrying emotional weight that wasn’t technically theirs?

How do you know when you’re helping someone versus carrying them?

(Full article in comments if anyone is interested.)

Hello everyone, 

I am looking for participants to take part in some research I am doing as part of my PhD project. The research is looking at how couples support one another whilst managing fibromyalgia. 

You may be eligible if you are:

-        Aged 18 years old or over,

-        In a relationship of 6 months or longer

-        Living together or spend most days/nights of the week in the same household, 

-        Either living with a formal diagnosis of or on the pathway to diagnosis of fibromyalgia or the partner of someone with fibromyalgia

You are welcome to participate in the study on your own or with your partner.

If you are interested in taking part in a focus group interview on the topic of how couples support one another whilst managing fibromyalgia, please email me at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).

Hello, I'm a Fresno Pacific University student conducting a survey for a college research project examining caregiver burnout and social support among family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

Participation is voluntary and anonymous. The survey takes approximately 3-5 minutes to complete.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Hi everyone,

My name is Kate and I am a trainee psychologist currently in my third year of doctoral training at the University of South Wales, UK. As part of my training, I am undertaking a research project exploring the experiences of those aged 65 and over who live with a partner who has low mood/depression.

This is a significantly under‑researched area, and I’m passionate about creating space for older adults to share their stories, with the hope that the findings can help inform and improve future support and service provision.

I would like to hear from you if:

• You and your partner are both aged 65 or over and you live together.
• Your partner has low mood/depression (This does not have to have been diagnosed by a medical professional and is not part of Bipolar or Psychotic depression).
• They do not have dementia.
• Your partner is not currently in hospital with their mental health and is not a risk to themselves, you or others.
• You live in the UK and can communicate fluently in English and could participate in an interview with myself either online or at the University of South Wales in Newport.

What’s involved?

• A 60-90 minute recorded interview with myself talking about your experiences.
• There are no right or wrong answers, I am interested in your story and experiences.
• All answers will be kept confidential.
• There is no payment for participation.

The project has received ethical approval from the University of South Wales.

If you are interested in taking part or want to find out more, you can find the participant information sheet and consent form here: Microsoft Forms or I can send them via email where you can contact me at: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

Thank you for reading and if you have any questions, please drop me an email!

Have a lovely day.

Kate - Trainee Psychologist

Family caregiving asks so much of your heart, your time, and your strength — and yet here you are, still showing up, still loving, still trying. That matters more than words can say.
Take a breath. You’re doing something sacred.
Rest when you can. Be gentle with yourself. You belong here whenever you need us.
We’ll be waiting with open hearts at our next gathering:
🌅 Morning Chat – 9 a.m. ET
🌙 Evening Chat – 9 p.m. ET
💙 Drop-in Chats – 3 p.m. & 6 p.m. ET request a private chat
Until then, hold on to this truth:
You are seen. You are valued. You are not carrying this alone.

Hello! We are conducting a survey on the impacts of caregiving responsibilities on Asian Americans in the “sandwich generation.” If you fit the eligibility criteria for our study, please consider filling out our brief anonymous survey. Thank you so much!