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 rules that are applicable to these new home care scenarios. There are some basic tips that everyone can follow to help make things go easier for long term care. One of the greatest reasons people pursue this idea is because they wish to stay close to family members and realize that even family members that have medical problems still have much to offer their families.
One of the more important things which can be done is keeping any communication as open as is possible. It is critical that they understand you are only there to help them out. Help them understand that they may talk to you about the concerns they feel. Many times these illnesses may cause memory loss and extreme personality changes, always be patient to 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 of the people who have long term illness will generally require ongoing treatment with various pills and medicines. It is important to become as knowledgeable as possible about these to keep your loved ones safe. Take some time to learn what everything does and what the possible food or drug interactions may be.
As boring as it may sound go back to school. Many colleges offer classes specifically targeted to help people who are taking care of family members at home. You could learn CPR, first aid or even how to bathe or dress someone. The classes are usually quite short and worth every penny they cost.
Try encouraging them to keep a journal to write about anything happening to them and how they are feeling. This may seem foolish at first but may really help to fine tune the medical treatment and help pin-point treatment areas the doctor may be missing. It does not need to be elaborate, only a simple journal which they take a few moments each day to write in.
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 rules that are applicable to these new home care scenarios. There are some basic tips that everyone can follow to help make things go easier for long term care. One of the greatest reasons people pursue this idea is because they wish to stay close to family members and realize that even family members that have medical problems still have much to offer their families.
One of the more important things which can be done is keeping any communication as open as is possible. It is critical that they understand you are only there to help them out. Help them understand that they may talk to you about the concerns they feel. Many times these illnesses may cause memory loss and extreme personality changes, always be patient to 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 of the people who have long term illness will generally require ongoing treatment with various pills and medicines. It is important to become as knowledgeable as possible about these to keep your loved ones safe. Take some time to learn what everything does and what the possible food or drug interactions may be.
As boring as it may sound go back to school. Many colleges offer classes specifically targeted to help people who are taking care of family members at home. You could learn CPR, first aid or even how to bathe or dress someone. The classes are usually quite short and worth every penny they cost.
Try encouraging them to keep a journal to write about anything happening to them and how they are feeling. This may seem foolish at first but may really help to fine tune the medical treatment and help pin-point treatment areas the doctor may be missing. It does not need to be elaborate, only a simple journal which they take a few moments each day to write in.
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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