Caring for someone with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) can be physically and mentally challenging. If you support someone with PF, whether you’re a friend, family member or carer, we offer a safe space where you can share your experience and find useful information.
What is it?
The community is a way to meet other people who support someone with PF, share your experience and get support and information.
There are two parts to the APF Carers Community:
1 - Carer email updates
We’ll get in touch with you via email. This email will include:
- The Zoom link to the next carers support group.
- A summary of useful information from the most recent carers support group meeting.
- Helpful information, resources and organisations for carers.
2 - APF Carers Support Group
What is it?
A regular online meeting for carers, friends and family members. The focus is on you and your needs as someone who is supporting a person with PF.
We often have a guest speaker for part of the meeting, talking about practical topics. Previous speakers have covered:
- Lasting powers of attorney
- Mindfulness and relaxation
- Carers assessments
- Art therapy
- Palliative care
The rest of the meeting is a free-flowing discussion that is guided by you. You can talk about anything that is on your mind: how you’re feeling, a difficult situation, a practical problem. Most of the time you’ll find that your experience is familiar to others in the group. Whilst people have different relationships to someone with PF, or they may be at different stages of their journey, there’s often something to learn from each other’s experiences.
You also don’t have to share if you don’t want to. You’re welcome to come along and just listen.
The group meetings are facilitated by an APF staff member. They guide the meeting to ensure that the discussion is relevant and helpful, and that everyone can participate if they want to
Who is it for?
We ask that only carers, family, friends or bereaved carers of people with PF attend the group. It’s a space where people can freely discuss difficult emotions and situations with people going through similar experiences. If people with a diagnosis of PF are present, some things may be difficult to share.
Where and when?
This support group is currently held online via Zoom on the first Monday of the month at 2-4pm.
How do I attend a meeting?
Simply join the APF Carers Community and we'll send you an invite to the meeting each month.