Online Message Boards Offer Key Benefits to Constituents

* Community. Users can ask questions/bounce ideas off of a bunch of people.

* Anonymity. To register to use the Alzheimer’s Association’s message boards, participants need only supply an e-mail address and set up a password.

* Accessibility. In addition to being available 24/7, message boards don’t require the investment of a block of time, like in-person support groups do. “When you’re at a support group, you get the support when you’re there; it’s an hour and a half, and, typically, it’s every other week or every month. But [the message board] is something they can access every day. Whenever they need it they can get on there and get some help, so it’s really much more accessible than a traditional support group,” Kallmyer says.