5 Ways To Support The Recovery Of Sick Family Members

After a long period of ill-health, the recovery process can be a pretty intense one. While some breeze through it, others find it challenging. 
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Data suggests that about 22 million Americans are currently in various stages of recovery. This is positive news, but there is always the fear of an incomplete recovery if the right steps aren’t taken. The success of a recovery period will depend on the individual, but that doesn’t diminish the effect of a good support system. Here are a few ways to ensure your loved one bounces back to good health after fighting a serious illness.

Be patient with them

After being ‘down’ for so long, it is normal for someone to take their time to get back into the groove of things. Therefore, exercising patience with someone who has fought a chronic illness is crucial. You should allow them to go through all the relevant processes as rushing through could be detrimental. Some may take longer or shorter, but being there through it all will go a long way in showing your concern for their wellbeing. 

It is worth noting that you may experience occasional gaps and setbacks in this period. It is natural to feel disappointed when these holdups occur. However, it helps to know that these interruptions are part of the process. Mental health experts say holdups can reset your expectations and help you become more patient during the entire process.

Empowerment

People in the recovery stage of their lives can be empowered to take charge of their healing. It can be a powerful tool if used effectively. It involves equipping them with the tools they would need to get back on their feet. Having control over their life, decisions, and doing things for themselves could positively affect the recovery process. Not many people like to feel helpless. But unfortunately, That is what those dealing with chronic illness face. The lack of autonomy and the thought of being a burden can take a toll on the recovery process. Therefore, it is crucial to get some of those things back after fighting a chronic illness. 

You can start with little things like asking their opinion when choosing what to wear, eat, etc. In certain recovery facilities, patients tend to lose their say in what helps in their healing process. This means everything takes on a top-to-bottom approach without much thought to the patient’s opinion. Fortunately, other facilities see the significance of personal empowerment and its role in the recovery process. Therefore, these places make it mandatory for individuals to have an input in their healing journey. Experts say when persons are denied their right to personal empowerment, they take longer to recover.

Help them seek individualized and person-centered care

While you may have experienced the same illness as someone else in your family, you may have been offered a different treatment approach – depending on various factors such as weight, sex, age, etc. This is why it is necessary to seek care tailored to their unique needs. In fact, experts believe using the person-centered approach produces better results. In effect, an individual’s personal needs, strengths, experiences, etc., come into play here.

Therefore, you can help your loved one by evaluating recovery options with them. Recovery is a primarily personal journey. However, an extra eye may be useful in making the best decision. Admittedly, there may be the temptation to imitate others or try their recovery methods. Indeed, this may have its purpose, but you cannot always rely on the outcomes. While on a mission to seek person-centered care, you may want to consider getting that from a professional institution. Do bear in mind that not every facility is well-equipped to provide specialized care. For example, if your loved one is recovering from addiction, it might be paramount to opt for inpatient treatment and not an outpatient care system. With the former, specialized care is the benchmark, and they stand to benefit more in the recovery journey.

Encourage independence

This is in line with empowering your loved ones with the tools they would need to get things done by themselves. A crucial part of successfully bouncing back is being able to take care of yourself throughout life, and it starts with taking responsibility for how your life goes after recovery. Indeed, they may be too out of it to do much in the early stages. However, it may become easier to proceed after handling some things successfully, so keep this in mind. Your role will be to provide the tools they need to sustain that mindset. You can also help them set goals and monitor, manage and evaluate themselves after reaching them or otherwise. All these will help improve their quality of life.

Help them socialize with peer support and other support systems

Human beings are social creatures, and you alone cannot be there for your loved one. This, therefore, informs the decision to help them engage or interact with others. Peer support is a crucial element in the recovery process. The peer system can comprise friends, relatives, mentors, or any other group of persons who provide moral support. The binding force in every peer support is the experience similarity. 

It could also consist of people who are also in various stages of recovery and are better positioned to offer mental and emotional help. Another advantage of having a peer support group is the lack of judgment. This is in sharp contradiction to the possible discrimination they might receive from others who haven’t walked in their shoes. You should also have a support system, as taking care of someone in recovery can take a toll on your health. And although this network may not share in your experiences, their support can be valuable when you need it most.

In conclusion, many people seem to agree that the road to recovery is not entirely straight. With that fact established, it is important to exercise patience during the process. As the saying goes, ‘give time some time.’

This is a contributed post.

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