There are always going to be a wide range of health problems going on in a family at any one time, especially if you include extended relatives. Wanting to help the family with mental and physical health issues is commendable, no matter their age or whether they live with you. To help you provide the care or arrange for someone else to provide it, consider the points below. Doing so can provide you the peace of mind that comes from knowing you are doing all you can to keep your relatives as healthy as possible.
Pay attention to them
This one sounds obvious, but it’s easy to overlook something. Paying close attention to your loved ones is a major way of ensuring that they are being properly looked after. This might be especially true for those who find it more challenging to take care of themselves.
The latter point generally applies to the elderly and the very young. Make sure that you are looking for any signs of discomfort or something unusual. That can go far in determining how best to help them when needed.
Help family move in the right direction
There might be a lot of times when a member of your family is just not doing all that they could be doing to stay healthy. It might be that they are unaware of how they could change their meals to be healthier or something else. Alternatively, they might not want to change their lifestyle.
Or, maybe the family member is not taking the prescribed medication for their chronic condition. Another scenario is that they are refusing to wear a hearing aid and need convincing to do so.
Guiding them in the right direction can be an effective, tough-love kind of way to help out the family. Your parent or another loved one might not appreciate your assistance at first. But, hopefully, they will eventually understand the reason why you are doing so.
Go with them to their appointments
If your loved one has a lot of medical appointments to go to, you can support them by simply going along with them. Being there with them as emotional support can do more than you realize.
The company can ward off feelings of loneliness, worry, and fear. Plus, you might be able to drive them to and from the appointment, particularly for a senior or someone with a mobility issue.
Often people will say they don’t want this kind of help until you actually give it to them. Or, they might ask you directly to go with them.
In either case, be aware of what you need to do to help them with their arthritis or any other health issue. Usually just being there with them can help, especially when it is the scary appointments that are coming up.
Help your family by learning about their health issues
Finally, aim to do whatever you can to learn as much as there is to know about the medical conditions of your loved ones. The more you know about them, the more likely it is that you will be able to help in more ways.
Also, you will likely find you are more prepared for whatever might lie ahead when you do this research. However good or bad it might be. In this way, you are not only helping your relatives but yourself as well.
Top photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels
This is exactly what people need. To be enlightened. Really nice 😊
Thank you for being here!
One of my favorite moments after my TBI was when a friend did her own research to learn more about it so she understood especially when we had a weekend planned together.
But it is also sad to see how many people walk out of your life due to an illness and injury. I commend those who don’t and who do their part to help others, wether it be friends, family or a neighbor. It means so much to the person dealing with an illness or injury and not having to ask for the help.
Thanks for sharing your experience here, Jessy. With help comes love and support, which can truly make a difference in the journey.
Great advice!
Nice to see you Deanna ((waving))