Ideas
For Patients & Caregivers
How To Improve Comfort
Tips
For Caregivers, Friends, and Family
»
Tips For Patients
» Tips for Caregivers, Friends
and Family
Encourage
visitors to keep their visits brief -While it is often very uplifting
to the patient to have visitors, it can be exhausting as well. Ask those
who want to visit to please call before they come to the hospital. For
the person going through treatment, their energy level can vary. On any
given day they can"t predict when they may or may not be up for visitors.
As the caregiver, don"t be afraid to ask people before they come
to visit to keep their visit short. Do not be afraid to tactfully cut
a visit short if the patient appears tired. Often we don"t want to
discourage visitors or feel badly if the patient tires after only 10 minutes
into a visit. The patients" comfort and energy level are of the utmost
importance. Don"t be afraid to be honest. The patient cannot always
do that for him or herself. That is where it"s nice for the caregiver
to step in and take the lead.
Write
down questions for the doctor - This advice is for the patient as
well as for the caregiver. Try to find out if the doctors have a standard
time that they make rounds. That way you, or someone else, can be there
as a second set of ears to hear what the doctor has to say. This can also
be helpful during doctor"s appointments as well. But be sure to ask
the patient if they would like you to accompany them or to be present
when the doctor makes rounds. Ultimately it is the patient"s choice
and he/she does have the right to privacy.
Take
care of yourself - Be sure to eat well and get plenty of rest. This
is not only for you, but also for the patient. Taking care of yourself
insures that you have the stamina to continue to be there in whatever
capacity you can for the patient. Often times the caregivers life becomes
focused on the hospital. Vending machine diets get old quickly and sap
your energy as well. Make sure to take a break from the hospital and go
get some good food and rest. Rather than having lots of people sitting
at the hospital, take turns. Again, it will insure that you can maintain
a support system for the patient.
Patient
Advocate - Insurance companies, which face pressure to keep rates
low from their customers (mainly employers), have been passing that budget
pressure on to hospitals. This means that, despite their best intentions,
hospital nurses and administrators might not have the time to give each
patient as much individualized attention as that patient would like. It"s
good to have someone with the patient as often as possible (consistent
with the patient"s desires) to alert hospital staff to the patient"s
needs and to supplement hospital staff in meeting some of the patient"s
comfort (i.e., non medical) needs.
The
Importance of Touch - Don"t underestimate the importance of human
contact. Most patients find massage very soothing. MAKE SURE YOU CHECK
WITH THE DOCTOR before doing any kind of massage. Usually neck and shoulder
massage, head massage or foot massages are very effective. Again, please
check with the doctor to make sure it is ok, in case of blood clots or
other complications. Even if massage is not recommended, or is uncomfortable,
you can hold the patient"s hand or hug him or her when you visit.
Often times cancer treatment can feel like an out-of-body experience.
The loss of hair and weight can make a patient feel like he or she is
looking at a stranger. Touching the patient helps to ground them and reconnect
them to themselves and to you. Not to mention, it is very comforting.
This
is a good time for the caregivers to get a massage as well. There
are a lot of emotional ups and downs associated with treatment,
and this can take a toll on everyone. Take any opportunity that
you can to relieve that stress. Rest, exercise, or get a massage.
