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Addiction
Per Cleveland Clinic, addiction is a disease — it’s a chronic condition. The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as a chronic brain disorder. Brain chemistry changes with addiction. We invite caregivers and their families, as well as patient advocates to connect, share and support each other in this Group and to create Forums within the Group.
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ADL (Activities of Daily Living)
Are you struggling with any ADLs of a loved one or someone you're caring for? ADLs can be some of the most challenging aspects of caregiving. Post a question, comment or frustration in this group, and let other MCF members share helpful hints or simply validate your experience!
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ALS / Lou Gehrig Disease
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The physical demands of caring for someone with ALS are vast and wide ranging related to ADLs and more. This group is for all caregivers and advocates who love someone with ALS. Let's connect, share and support each other!
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Art
If Art speaks to you, speak to us! Let your fellow carers know what moves you and why. Post comments and/or questions to get the conversation started...and see who connects with you over time!
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Autism
It's non-discriminatory, affecting all ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Caring for children with autism is challenging and affects the life of the caregivers. This often includes depression, anxiety, and other mental or physical health problems. This group is essential for these caregivers to gain support from others that face the same challenges. Welcome!
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Autoimmune Diseases
An autoimmune disorder occurs when the body's immune system attacks and destroys healthy body tissue by mistake. There are more than 80 types of autoimmune disorders. MCF kindly invites caregivers and their families, patient advocates, and certainly patients themselves, to connect, share and support each other in this Group and within the Group Forums. Welcome!
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Automotive
Vrooom! There are carers ranging from auto historians to aficionados to casual appreciation. Share with the community which cars, trucks, or motorcycles you have or dream about. Most of us have at minimum seen a car and said to ourselves, "wow, I'd love to have that!" Your stories can range from the autos themselves to a memorable ride you had in your life.
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Books
Millions of caregivers and advocates love to read books. Whether for fun or professional learning, we've created this group for you to share with other MCF members. Go ahead...create a book club forum and invite other MCF members, create a forum about a favorite author or topic, or other forum of ideas you can think of. Connect. Share. Support each other's love of books!
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Brain Injury
What do you think of? Car crashes. Falls. Football players. Military veterans. Yes...and more! Did you know that brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide and traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of seizure disorders. This group is meant for caregivers and advocates of people affected by brain injury to Connect. Share. Support.
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Cancer
Everyone likely knows someone who has battled cancer. For caregivers and advocates, there's so much to know, stay on top of, etc. While every cancer journey is unique, there are many aspects that caregivers can learn from each other -- and the people battling. Whether it's questions or general support, we invite you to ask/answer questions and share your experiences.
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Caregiving Dads
Reports in recent years in the U.S. and U.K. note that the percentage of caregiving dads has increased significantly. Estimates range from 20% to 35%, with those being defined as "stay at home" or "a regular source of care for children under 15." Whatever the definition and extent of their roles, this MCF group is here for them to connect, share and support each other!
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Caregiving Opportunities
We know how hard it can be to find a good caregiver. This group is meant for: a) caregivers looking for opportunities, and b) families and friends looking for caregivers. Consider starting a Forum within this group, providing what you're looking for and where.
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Caregiving Youth
Estimated 5.4 million in the U.S. Often hidden, they commonly miss school, cancel plans with friends, deal with "adult-like" stress/anxiety, and overall grow up way too early. This MCF group is meant to bring awareness to a growing issue for these kids and society overall!
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Dementia & Alzheimer’s
Many of us interchange these two. Dementia describes a group of symptoms that effect memory. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease of the brain that causes impairment in memory and cognitive function. Whichever your loved one or patient suffers from, it's challenging for all involved. There are countless issues to consider moving forward. Let this group be your sounding board for sharing with and learning from others...to help you.
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Developmental Disabilities
These encompass a broad range of conditions that result from cognitive and/or physical impairments. They are identified before the age of 22, and usually last throughout a person’s lifetime. These include intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, language and learning disorders, vision impairment, hearing loss, and more. For caregivers, this MCF group is here for you to connect, share and support one another.
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Diabetes
Managing diabetes can be challenging for patients and their caregivers. Considering in the U.S. there's a total of 37.3 million people with the disease and 96 million people aged 18+ have pre-diabetes, there's a lot of sharing and supporting each other we hope will be done in this group!
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Dialysis
When kidneys fail, dialysis acts as a replacement. More than 550,000 people in the US - and more than 2 million people worldwide - undergo dialysis. The challenges to health and lifestyle are staggering in many ways for the person on dialysis, not to mention how this affects the lives of caregivers and patient advocates.
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Distance Caregiving
When a loved one is ill, it’s sometimes not easy or possible to physically be there for them. This can be challenging for many reasons, for the person in need and the caregiver. Let’s share in this group about how people can help from afar, as well as the feelings it brings up from all sides of the situation. Welcome!
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Down Syndrome
Down Syndrome is estimated at 1 in 1,000 to 1,100 live births worldwide. That's about 3,000 - 5,000 children born with this chromosome disorder. This changes the lives of parents and families in many ways. This group is for anyone who cares for/about someone with Down Syndrome. We hope you will Connect, Share and Support each other!
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End of Life, Hospice…
Being a caregiver at the end of life is not easy, especially for a loved one. How much time is left? When is it time for hospice? What are the right things to say? How can I practice gratitude at this moment? And...so many more questions. So we encourage you to ask questions and share your experiences in this group to help each other.
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Essential Tremor
An estimated 10 million Americans have ET. It is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s disease. Yet, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke, 8x as many people have ET as have Parkinson’s. Quality of life for people with ET is significantly impacted! This group is to support not only caregivers for people with ET, but also the people who suffer. Connect, share and support each other in this group and associated forums.
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Eye Care & Diseases
There are hundreds of eye diseases and vision problems. Some have no cure, but many are treatable. The four most common eye conditions leading to loss of vision or blindness are: cataracts, diabetes-related retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. Whether any of these or another eye disease, connect, share and support each other in this group!
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Family Challenges
So often there are challenges among family members, especially when it comes to caring for parents. How does everyone navigate these situations? We've found it helpful to talk with other people in the same shoes to gain perspective. Connect through this group with questions and/or answers for others in your shoes. It can often be helpful!
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Fashion
Whether it's the runways of Milan or New York City, or the discount racks of TJ Maxx, fashion is subjective. We all have our own sense of style, both professionally and personally. Let the community know what you like, why it "fits" your personality, where you find great bargains, and more. Please share now...so you don't keep them hangin'. ;-)
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Finances
Often a difficult topic. To make good decisions for those care for, a clear grasp of their financial situation is needed. How do you approach them? 1-on-1, a family meeting with siblings, or also include other important people? Share your experiences in this group and connect to support each other.
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Fitness / Exercise
There are many ways to stay fit. From good "old-fashioned" treadmills, to cross-fit, pilates, and yoga, to biking, hiking, and rock climbing...and more. What's your regular "go to" or once-in-a-while? Share any and all about this topic with your fellow MCFriends!
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Foster Care
Over 400,000 youth in the U.S. foster care system. 20% will experience homelessness at some point in their adulthood. Less than 3% will graduate college. This group is for foster families to Connect. Share. Support. with the hope of helping improve their foster experience and these statistics!
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Grief
Individual diversity, family and social networks, and cultural influences contribute to the way one experiences and expresses grief. Most people will experience common or normal grief and with time will adjust to the loss, while others will experience more prolonged or complicated grief. This MCF group is intended as a safe space for members to connect, share and support each other at any point in the grieving process.
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Health Literacy
Health literacy: an individual's ability to obtain, process, and understand information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Many people, including caregivers and patient advocates, can feel challenged by health situations they are in personally or related to those they care for. This group is a great place to Connect, Share. Support. one another!
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Healthcare Insurance
This often is a topic more confusing than medical terminology. Understanding how insurance works overall, what policies cover, accessing people with answers, and much more can be incredibly challenging. Caregivers and especially patient advocates often have great insight. Connect with each other in this group to share experiences and learn.
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Healthcare Providers
This group is intended to cover the full range of providers from physicians to nurses to lab techs and more. Caregivers and advocates often have interaction with these individuals, who each play an integral role in the care continuum. In this group, you can share and support each other with a wide range of information on endless topics.
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Heart Disease
Per the Mayo Clinic, heart disease describes a range of conditions that affect the heart, including: blood vessel disease, heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias), congenital heart defects, heart valve disease, disease of the heart muscle, and heart infection. It can be confusing! For caregivers & advocates, it can be helpful to connect, share and support each other!
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Hiking
Since this topic appears to be consistently mentioned by caregivers in their top ways to get away from caregiving, there's no doubt it would be a group. We'd love to hear from MCF members where you enjoy hiking and what are some of your favorites...anywhere in the world.
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Hobbies
This is a group that can include SO many topics...from quilting to sailing to photography and much more. Create a Forum about your favorite hobby or join in the discussion other MCF members have created!
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Holistic Healthcare
The holistic approach to medicine prioritizes the well-being of a person. While traditional medicine assesses only their physical state, holistic medicine cares about much more: the psychological, emotional, and spiritual aspects together. Whether you're interested or believe in this topic for you or a loved one, Connect, Share. Support. in this MCF group!
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Homeless
Over a half million people are homeless in the U.S.! Care for the homeless often focuses on knowledge of the healthcare system, opportunities to access care, and education on the prevention of acute and chronic conditions. For the incredible caregivers to the homeless -- nurses, social workers, volunteers, doctors, etc. -- connect, share and support each other!
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Infectious Diseases
Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by pathogens that get into a body. The most common causes are viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. If you are caring for someone with an infectious disease, you can connect, share and support others in this group who are in a similar situation.
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Legal
The title of this group can refer to so much! We invite MCF members to connect, share and support each other about any legal topic related to caregiving and patient advocacy.
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LGBTQ+
The typical LGBTQ caregiver spends about 28 hours/week assisting a family member with ADLs, IADLs, and medical/nursing tasks, placing them in more high intensity caregiving situations than non-LGBTQ peers. This group is meant to provide a place for LGBTQ+ caregivers to feel less isolated, through connecting, sharing and supporting each other!
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Long Covid
Post-COVID-19 syndrome involves a variety of new, returning or ongoing symptoms that people experience more than four weeks after getting COVID-19. In some people, it lasts months or years or causes disability. For caregivers and patient advocates trying to understand this ever-evolving challenge, we invite you to connect, share and support each other!
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Long Term Care
The breadth / depth of this topic is huge! From LTC Insurance, to Elder Care Living Facilities, to Advanced Care Planning, and so much more, MCF invites caregivers, advocates, patients, and their families to connect, share, and support each other in this group and create forums on specific topics.
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ME/CFS
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex multi-system disease with many symptoms that may change over time and differ from patient to patient. It often is debilitating and life limiting and the cause is currently unknown. If you're a caregiver/advocate or patient with ME/CFS, we hope you use this group and create forum topics to help other!
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Medical Research
With so many diseases, procedures, drugs, etc. and research on all, we thought this group would be a great place for MCF members to share with each other. A new study for a specific disease. A product that's being tested. Whatever the research, let's share and support each other in this group!
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Medication & Administration
Caregivers are often anguished to learn a loved one (or someone in their care) has missed a dose, hasn't renewed a prescription, taken a wrong pill, or stopped without consulting their physician. There are many stories from which caregivers and patient advocates can learn. Tap into each other in this group with questions and answers, whether one time or ongoing.
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Mental Health
This group is for caregivers dealing with their own mental health challenges or that of those they are caring for. You're not alone! Mental health is a serious issue, whether dealing with someone else's and/or your own. The trick is how to deal with each and mitigate the negative effects. Share your experiences and post questions to help and learn from other caregivers.
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Military & Veterans
The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system and there are 9 million enrolled Veterans each year. While there are commonalities between Vet and non-Vet health issues, we can all recognize there are unique and complex health challenges for men and women that served in the armed forces. For caregivers and advocates who care for them, this is an additional MCF group to connect, share and support.
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Mindfulness & Meditation
Mindfulness and meditation embody many similarities. Meditation is an intentional practice, where you use focus to increase calmness, concentration, awareness, and emotional balance. Mindfulness is the simple act of paying attention, noticing and being present in whatever you’re doing. Connect with other MCF members and share your experiences!
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Movies
We all have our favorites! Share yours in this group, why you like them and connect with other caregivers about the wonderful world of movies!
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Music
Caregivers are as diverse as the music we like. Connect with each other to share your likes or learn about new artists...and escape your responsibilities with a new friend virtually or on your own, if even for just a moment.
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Oral & Dental Care
Amidst the many challenges of caregiving, oral care is something that's often not paid enough attention to and dental care put off for a later date. It's understandable with juggling so much, but it's so important! We invite you to share tips and stories with other MCF members in this group.
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Addiction
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