Updated September 01, 2014.

If you've come to the conclusion that you could use some support on this caregivers' journey, but don't know how you can access an in-person group, you might be thinking about some online options. Although I believe there are lots of benefits particular to the experience of meeting with a support group in person, face to face, and heart to heart, I know for some caregivers this is impossible.

An online group or discussion forum can certainly be an important stopgap, particularly if you are both geographically and socially isolated.

Where do you look for these support groups? Often the same organizations that can help you with information about in-person support groups can help you with finding about online options as well. Some of these places include:

1. The AARP Resource Center

The AARP (according to the commercials, we're supposed to be calling them 'arp' as in a word that rhymes with 'harp') Resource Center is a great place to access their own online support as well as find out about other helps for caregivers. They sometimes do facebook chats as part of their online support network. Although this isn't maybe the kind of regularity that you need, it can be a good foray into online support because it doesn't require learning any new technology; if you're using facebook you can access the chat and from there the chat environment is pretty intuitive.

AARP runs their own very active caregivers' support forums. Current threads include subjects like animals and caregiving, dealing with siblings when taking care of an aged parent, dental care for seniors, enough is enough already (followed by no less than seven exclamation points) and how to get your life back after caregiving.

You have to register to post, but you can read without jumping through any hoops at all. The added benefit of using something like a forum is you can access it whenever you have a "free" minute or a little bit of downtime, you don't have to schedule your activities around the group or chat.

2. The Family Caregiver Alliance

The Family Caregiver Alliance offers in person support groups for those near their Northern California location and also offer online support via their email lists. They have two different lists, one LGBT specific and one more general. You can sign up with a few clicks on their website, although you'll have to reply to an initial email to confirm your subscription.

The FCA also maintains a really nice factsheet on how to start your own caregivers' support group. Although the example they use is a support group for family caregivers of brain injured adults, the advice and suggestions will work for any type of caregivers' support group, whether it is disease specific or not.

3. The Well Spouse Support Network

You have to join (which is initially free, at least for the first year) in order to access their caregiver support forums, but they maintain an impressive number of active support resources. Much of this is geared towards long-term support of a spouse, such as spouse with a chronic illness or lifelong disability.  

5. The American Self Help Clearinghouse

Some of the resources found here are more specifically about managing one's own disease or condition, but they also include groups and support resources for family caregivers in their database. The search function within the online database can be a little wonky, so if you're looking for something specific and don't find it, you can arrow through the comprehensive alphabetical list of conditions until you find what you need.