Buzz
The quality of patient care during the treatment period is one of the most important factors in helping the patient recover quickly. Perhaps you have a loved one or friend who is suffering from a severe cold, infection, or another illness. When the patient visits a doctor for a check-up, they are often advised to stay home, rest, and recover. You can support your loved one by offering compassion, words of encouragement, and providing care measures to help them recover faster.
Steps
Patient Care
Maintain a calm and comfortable environment with fresh air. Patients may experience fever and chills if they are in a room that is too cold, or discomfort if the room is too warm. Additionally, a noisy and stuffy room can make the patient feel even more ill and fatigued. Ensure that the patient has a comfortable bed, sofa, or lounge chair in a peaceful spot in the house, and open windows to allow fresh air to circulate.
- You can also make the patient feel more at ease by providing warm blankets and extra pillows, especially if they are suffering from a cold or flu.
- The patient should rest for at least 10 hours each day. Encourage them to rest when they feel tired to aid their recovery.
Encourage the patient to drink liquids such as water and herbal tea. Illness often leads to dehydration due to symptoms like diarrhea or fever. Ensure the patient stays hydrated by offering them a few glasses of water or warm, soothing herbal tea. Advise them to take small sips and aim for at least 3-4 cups of water or tea. Although offering water is a simple gesture, it provides comfort to the sick, as they may be too weak to fetch it themselves.
- An average adult needs 8 cups of water (240 ml per cup) or more each day and should urinate 3-4 times. Estimate the patient's fluid intake and note if they aren't urinating regularly, which could indicate dehydration.
Prepare comforting meals for the patient. When ill, people often crave easy-to-swallow foods like chicken noodle soup (pho). Studies show that this dish contains protein from chicken, and the chicken broth is rich in vitamins, minerals, and some fats. The noodles help with satiety, and vegetables like carrots, celery, and onions offer vitamins and antioxidants. In general, liquid-based meals are excellent for the sick since they are warm, filling, and easy to digest.
- Avoid offering unhealthy foods with trans fats and empty calories, as they do not support the immune system in fighting illness. Nutritious foods like soups, porridge, oatmeal, and fruit smoothies are better choices for a sick person.
Help the patient stay clean. Depending on the severity of the illness, a sick person might struggle with bathing or maintaining personal hygiene. It's essential for the patient to stay clean to prevent further complications or infections. Bedridden patients may need at-home nursing care for help with bathing.
- You can make the patient more comfortable by assisting with changing their bed linens daily and turning them over while they lie in bed. A patient who is too weak cannot reposition themselves, so you can either assist the nurse or ask someone else in the home to help lift and turn the patient at least once a day to avoid bedsores.
Play games, watch movies, or enjoy favorite shows with the patient. Another simple way to comfort the sick is by helping them forget their illness for a while. You can invite them to play a game, watch a movie, or enjoy a favorite show together. These light and fun activities, with your company, will help them feel better and take their mind off the illness.
- You can also bring a good book to distract them and provide something enjoyable to focus on.
- Consider doing a craft project or a small task together that requires frequent interaction. This way, the patient will have something to look forward to, and you'll also have more quality time with them.
Encourage the patient
Express sympathy and offer to help them feel better. When visiting a sick person for the first time, you should show that you care about them and wish them a speedy recovery. Offer help clearly and directly. Instead of asking 'Do you need any help?' or 'Let me know if you need anything,' suggest something more specific. For example, 'I’m going to get some groceries soon. Should I pick up some chicken pho for you?' or 'I’m heading to the pharmacy, do you need any medicine?' This will make it easier for the sick person to accept your offer without having to think too much.
- When trying to cheer someone up, avoid saying things like 'Look on the bright side' or 'It could be worse.' Even though you mean well, these comments can make them feel guilty for being sick or make them think they don’t have the right to feel ill when others may be less fortunate.
Be willing to listen. Almost everyone who is sick feels more comfortable when someone listens to them with empathy and understanding. Rather than saying they look fine or don’t seem sick, try to listen to the sick person as they talk about their feelings and emotions related to their illness.
- Avoid imposing your opinions. Instead, stay by their side and listen with compassion. Many sick people feel better knowing that someone will sit with them at least once a day and listen to them talk. Illness often brings feelings of loneliness and boredom, so having someone to talk to makes them feel cared for and supported.
Read a book to the sick person. If the sick person is too weak to talk or sit up, you can lift their spirits by reading a book or novel that they enjoy. This helps the person remember that they are not alone in the room and that someone still cares about them.
Advice
- If the sick person shows signs of severe illness, seek medical care immediately.
- Severe symptoms may include: significant blood loss, coughing or urinating blood, difficulty breathing, fainting or loss of mobility, not urinating for 12 hours or more, inability to drink any liquids for a day or more, excessive vomiting or diarrhea lasting longer than 2 days, continuous severe abdominal pain for more than 3 days, high fever that doesn’t subside or lasts more than 4-5 days.
- It’s fine to visit when the person is sick, but you can also visit when they’re not ill to show that they are cherished—feeling down and isolated can contribute to illness! Remember to wash your hands after leaving to prevent the spread of germs.
- Treating a cold may involve pain relievers, antihistamines, decongestants, cough medicines, inhalers, and expectorants.
- Studies suggest that the root of the pelargonium sidoides plant may help reduce cold symptoms.
- Ineffective treatments include antibiotics, antiviral therapies, and exclusive use of antihistamines.
- Vitamin and herbal therapies include Vitamin C, echinacea (purple coneflower), while Vitamin D and Vitamin E require further research.
