Nka supports digital group meetings for sibling carers

A lot of things are affected when you have a sibling with a long-standing, chronic condition and/or disability. There can be positive and meaningful moments, but you can also have thoughts and feelings that are tough to handle. For example, you may have problems with prioritizing your own needs when a lot of time is spent focusing on your sibling.

In order to support adults who take care of siblings, The Swedish Family Care Competence Centre (Nka) organizes digital group meetings. At the meetings, participants have the opportunity to share thoughts and experiences with each other. The group is led by two Carer advocates working in the municipality, with support from Nka.

The digital meetings are based on material that was produced during a project about adult siblings. The material includes different themes that can be used as a starting point for conversations.

After each group session is completed, participants are asked to fill in an evaluation survey which helps Nka to further improve and tailor their online support.

Experiences so far highlight that it is feasible to create a feeling of presence and community even if the meetings are digital. Some participants even prefer digital meetings over physical ones because of the anonymous approach and the comfort of taking part from home. Participants often find it rewarding to talk to others who are in the same situation – it helps to know that you’re not alone.

Nka has previously arranged two digital group meetings for adult siblings, and a third one will take place in early May.

Text: Josefine Göransson