Caring for a Loved One Diagnosed with a Serious Illness
What happens when an individual walks out of the doctor’s office with an unthinkable diagnosis? What happens when a patient hears those words?
The shock and disbelief will undoubtedly lead to a cascade of emotions and behaviors that may range from anger to sadness to isolation. Close friends and family members may feel many of these same emotions.
But when the person diagnosed is your spouse or a loved one that you care for, the diagnosis can seem like more than you can bear.
Accept and Learn
As a caregiver for someone suffering from a serious illness, you can help your loved one by accepting the situation rather than rebelling. Learn about the disease so that you can understand expected disease progression, the latest research, and current and experimental treatments. You can be the advocate who helps your loved one cope with the information and seeks ways to improve the situation. In fact, you can help both of you develop resilience.
Be Patient and Kind
You can also help yourself and your loved one develop the patience and kindness that will be necessary to deal with the disease. Teach your mate how to be kind to himself even though he may not be happy with the way part of his body is functioning. And don’t allow yourself or him to compare what he was like before versus after the serious illness.
Divide Your Time
Dedicate time to your loved one, but make sure you have to time to complete your work, pay bills, exercise, and have personal time. You need to take care of yourself so that you can take care of someone else.
Include Others
Allow family members and friends to help! Encourage social interaction and involvement, even if these interactions are different than before. They are still meaningful on so many levels.
Find Help
Additionally, find a home care agency such as Expicare Nursing, Inc. that specializes in helping people with limiting capabilities by helping your loved one if he has mobility issues, cooking, completing household chores, or doing errands.
Owned and managed by highly qualified Registered Nurses, Expicare is a recognized leader of home health care in South Florida. For over three decades, Expicare has provided unparalleled home health care to thousands of patients throughout Palm Beach County. From post-surgery assistance to compassionate care for patients and families struggling with Alzheimer’s, Expicare provides highly skilled nurses and nursing assistants to care for your parents or loved ones. For more information, contact 561-736-1422, toll-free: 855-730-9895, or visit www.expicare.com.