Generally speaking a chronic illness is one that will normally last three months or longer. It may surprise you that 7 out of every 10 deaths in the US is from chronic related diseases. With the rise in health care costs, there is a growing trend for people to follow a more family oriented chronic care strategy at their own home for their family and loved ones.
There are no real steady fast rules that apply to these home care situations. There are some tips that everyone should follow to make things a little more easier in the long term. One of the biggest reasons people pursue this is because they still wish to remain close to their family and realize even family members who may have medical issues still have a lot to offer their family.
One of the important items that could be done is to maintain positive open communications. It is important that they see you are only there to help make their life better. Let them see they can speak to you regarding concerns they may have. Often this type of illnesses could cause extreme personality changes and memory loss, show patience as work through this.
If they see a doctor often take an active part in their appointments. Nobody likes seeing a doctor alone, including family members that have a terminal illness. By going to them, you not only give them a ride there and back but could fill prescriptions or remember important things to bring along. You may also have relevant information which the patient could have forgotten. When the visit is over you could help schedule their follow up appointment so it will not be missed.
Most people who have a terminal illness will often require specialized ongoing treatment with different pills or medicines. It is critical to try learning as much as possible regarding these things to keep them safe. Take time to learn what everything does and what any possible food and drug interactions could be.
As boring as it sounds go back to college. Many colleges have classes that are specifically targeted for people who will be taking care of their family members while at home. You often learn CPR, first aid and how to dress or bathe somebody. The classes are typically not long and worth every nickel they cost.
Try to encourage them to write in a journal about what is happening and how they feel. This may seem silly at first but could really help fine tune any medical treatment or help pin-point areas of treatment the doctor is missing. It does not have to be elaborate, just a simple journal that they can take a few moments to write in each day.
You are there to help solve their problems not create new ones for them. Many times it will take a while to regain a loved ones trust but it is important if you plan to help them with long term chronic care. It will be tough, but do not give up.
There are no real steady fast rules that apply to these home care situations. There are some tips that everyone should follow to make things a little more easier in the long term. One of the biggest reasons people pursue this is because they still wish to remain close to their family and realize even family members who may have medical issues still have a lot to offer their family.
One of the important items that could be done is to maintain positive open communications. It is important that they see you are only there to help make their life better. Let them see they can speak to you regarding concerns they may have. Often this type of illnesses could cause extreme personality changes and memory loss, show patience as work through this.
If they see a doctor often take an active part in their appointments. Nobody likes seeing a doctor alone, including family members that have a terminal illness. By going to them, you not only give them a ride there and back but could fill prescriptions or remember important things to bring along. You may also have relevant information which the patient could have forgotten. When the visit is over you could help schedule their follow up appointment so it will not be missed.
Most people who have a terminal illness will often require specialized ongoing treatment with different pills or medicines. It is critical to try learning as much as possible regarding these things to keep them safe. Take time to learn what everything does and what any possible food and drug interactions could be.
As boring as it sounds go back to college. Many colleges have classes that are specifically targeted for people who will be taking care of their family members while at home. You often learn CPR, first aid and how to dress or bathe somebody. The classes are typically not long and worth every nickel they cost.
Try to encourage them to write in a journal about what is happening and how they feel. This may seem silly at first but could really help fine tune any medical treatment or help pin-point areas of treatment the doctor is missing. It does not have to be elaborate, just a simple journal that they can take a few moments to write in each day.
You are there to help solve their problems not create new ones for them. Many times it will take a while to regain a loved ones trust but it is important if you plan to help them with long term chronic care. It will be tough, but do not give up.
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