Frequently Asked Questions

How does the support group work?

The HelpingCaregivers.com Online Support Group is run by a list server, which is software that manages a discussion forum based on a list of email addresses. Subscribing via our website adds your name to the list. When you send email messages or “posts” to this list, your message is forwarded to the entire group. You can choose to receive either individual posts, which the list server sends out immediately, or digests, which are a compilation of the day’s posts.

How do I become part of the support group?

The support group is self-governing and is run on a “self-help” model. You can subscribe and unsubscribe from lists at anytime. Visit the online support groups page for a list of various commands.

How do I send messages to the group?

The email address to send to the list is list@helpingcaregivers.com. To send and receive posts, you need to have a valid email address and be subscribed to the list. You must post using the same email address you used to subscribe. Please see below for instructions related to the application you use to send email.

Posting to the list using AOL?

The best method for posting to the entire list is to add the list address, list@helpingcaregivers.com, to your AOL address book. When you’re ready to send a message, click the address book icon, choose the group address, and then use “Write Mail” to compose a new message.
We do not recommend using the “Reply” function for AOL, unless you carefully follow the instructions below. “Replying” with AOL automatically sends the entire message you received back to the list. This fills the list with old messages that everyone has already read, and is especially a problem with digests.
Use “Reply” only if there is a message that you wish to directly respond to. Use your mouse to highlight the part of the message to which you are referring and click “Reply”. You will see that portion of the message appear in the new message you are sending. Then type your message. If you do not highlight part of the message you are replying to, the entire message or digest will be sent back to the list, even though you will not see it appear in the message you are sending. You may also wish to change the message “Subject” heading to reflect the topic of your message.

Posting to the list using Outlook and Eudora.

The best method for posting to the list is to add the list address, list@helpingcaregivers.com, to your address book. Select this address when composing a new message.
If you use the “Reply” feature to post to the list, the entire message you are replying to will appear in your new message. Be sure to select and delete the parts of the message that are not directly related to your post, otherwise the message you are replying to will be reposted to the list. This is especially a problem with digests, which can fill the list with old posts that everyone has already read. You may also wish to change the “Subject” heading of your new post to reflect the topic of your message.

How can I change from individual posts to digests, or vice-versa?

To change your subscription settings, go to the online support groups page. Go to the commands section. Click on the link to turn digest on, or click on the link to turn digest off. The link will automatically generate a new email message with the appropriate command in the subject line. Simply send the new message and the command will be received.

What can I do if I receive error messages or the list does not seem to be working properly?

To contact the list administrator regarding technical problems, send email to: info@helpingcaregivers.com.

I’m using AOL, and I am receiving only the beginning part of the digest. How can I view the rest of this e-mail?

Whenever e-mail messages exceed a certain size, AOL shows you only the beginning part of the e-mail message. The size of the message depends on how many e-mails are sent to the discussion group, and also the length of content for the total number of e-mails. You may notice that sometimes you can see the entire digest, and other times, when the digest is longer, you can view only the beginning of the message within AOL. Switching from receiving the digest to individual posts can solve this problem, but you will receive many more e-mails than just one group per day. To view the entire digest in AOL, you need to click “Download now”. By default, the downloaded items go into the AOL Download directory on your computer. Directory items are usually placed in alphabetical order, and can also be identified by date. If you are more proficient using AOL, you can specify where you’d like your download messages to go. If you are having trouble finding downloaded e-mails, the best thing to do is call AOL tech support, and ask how you can locate e-mail messages that the AOL system makes you download.