(Akiit.com) As the designated at-home caregiver of a sick loved one, you will take on many new responsibilities and face many challenges along the way. You’ll need to seek support where possible so you can overcome the difficult times and make caregiving a positive experience for you and your ward.
Below, we give you several tips to help you care for a sick loved one at home.
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Understand Your Loved One’s Needs
Whether your loved one is sick or injured, you must understand the full extent of their needs so you can provide the best care possible. Using diagnostic sets, the doctors will determine your loved one’s condition and give you instructions for their care once they return home.
You should attend all your loved one’s doctors’ appointments and take notes as necessary to make sure you can provide the full scope of care they need to recover and have a good quality of life.
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Accept and Deal with Your Feelings
Caring for a sick family member can cause a mix of emotions including fear, anxiety, resentment, and anger. Don’t feel guilty for feeling the negative emotions as they are normal human reactions to such a difficult role.
The best thing you can do for yourself and your loved one is to accept your feelings and discuss them with someone you trust. Talking with a licensed therapist can help you understand why you’re feeling that way and give you ways to cope with your emotions, so you don’t take it out on the person you’re caring for.
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Enlist the Help of Others
Caring for a sick loved one at home can be a full-time commitment in some cases. If you aren’t capable of handling it all yourself, you’ll need to ask other family members and friends for help.
Make a list of the requirements your loved one needs and decide which ones you’re capable of doing yourself. Consider your physical abilities and your time limitations when figuring out what you’re able to do yourself. Any tasks you know you cannot do or don’t have time to do yourself can be divvied out to other family members.
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Connect on a Deeper Level with Your Sick Loved One
Caring for another human being has many positive effects on the human mind and body. When you slow down and take time to get to know each other on a more personal level, it causes the body to release feel-good chemicals that boost mood, lower stress levels, and improve physical health. These benefits are the same for you and the person for whom you’re caring.
Even if your sick loved one can’t communicate verbally with you, you should still take time each day to connect physically and emotionally with them. Hold their hands and talk in a calm voice. Doing so has the same effect as if you were able to communicate normally.
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Take Care of Yourself
When caring for someone else, it’s easy to lose sight of yourself. But, to care for someone else effectively, you need to take care of yourself first. Make sure you take time to relax, destress, and do things you enjoy, so you don’t burn out and become ill yourself.
Caring for a sick loved one isn’t easy, but by understanding their condition completely, accepting your feelings, seeking support, connecting deeply with your loved one, and taking care of yourself first, you and your sick family member can both have a positive caregiving experience.
Staff Writer; Carla Brown