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 are still regularly seeing a doctor take an active part in any appointments. No one enjoys going to a doctor's office alone, family members possessing long term illnesses are no exception. By being more active you could take them back and forth as well as fill any prescriptions they need and remember critical items they need to take. You could also remember information that they may not remember. Following the visit you can always help set up their next appointments so they do not miss it.
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 asking them to write inside a journal about how they feel and things that are happening. This may appear silly but often really helps to fine-tune any medical treatment or assist with pin-pointing treatment areas their doctor may miss. It is not required to be elaborate, simply a basic journal for them to take a few moments and write in every 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 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 are still regularly seeing a doctor take an active part in any appointments. No one enjoys going to a doctor's office alone, family members possessing long term illnesses are no exception. By being more active you could take them back and forth as well as fill any prescriptions they need and remember critical items they need to take. You could also remember information that they may not remember. Following the visit you can always help set up their next appointments so they do not miss it.
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 asking them to write inside a journal about how they feel and things that are happening. This may appear silly but often really helps to fine-tune any medical treatment or assist with pin-pointing treatment areas their doctor may miss. It is not required to be elaborate, simply a basic journal for them to take a few moments and write in every 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.
About the Author:
When you need the finest in chronic care check out this link to Genbcorp Health Consulting Services. We provide guidance in disease prevention, disease management and wellness consulting, and more details are available at http://www.mygenbcorphealth.com today.
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