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 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 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 could sound try taking some college classes. Many colleges have specifically targeted classes to assist people who take care of any family members in their home. You should learn first aid or CPR or even how to bathe and dress people. These classes are generally quite short and yes, worth every dime 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 suppose to help with solving any issues they could possibly have, not make new issues for them. Often it takes time to regain a their trust but this is critical if you honestly plan to assist them with their chronic care be it short or long term. It could be tough, just do not give up.
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