Seeing someone you love in the hospital for any amount of time is difficult. When a short stay in the hospital becomes an extended stay, though, your loved one needs you to provide the strength they can’t provide for themselves. Fortunately, there’s plenty one can do for loved ones while they’re stuck in a hospital bed during an extended hospital stay.
Ways to help someone you love during an extended hospital stay
Keep Track of Their Bills
Even when someone is in the hospital, the bills don’t stop coming. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to stay on top of these bills while in the hospital. One great way to help your loved one, then, is to stay on top of the bills and make sure they get paid on time. That way, your loved one won’t come home to a bunch of late fees when they’re discharged from the hospital.
Prepare Their Home
In some situations, a long hospital stay leads to an extended recovery at home. To help make this transition go as smoothly as possible, you can help your loved one by preparing their home to be a place of recovery. One way to do this is to order and assemble any medical equipment they will need from a medical supplier like Joerns Healthcare. By taking care of this step, you will help create good conditions for a faster recovery.
Keep Them Updated
While in a hospital, family happenings aren’t put on hold. Even with digital communication, we forget to include those in the hospital. By acting as a liaison between your loved one and the outside world, you will help them feel connected so that they don’t become depressed. Be careful, though, not to overwhelm them with any bad news, as they may already be receiving bad news about their own condition.
Be An Advocate
The longer someone stays in the hospital, the easier it can be for someone in charge of their care to make a mistake. People get into patterns of care after doing the same thing for several days. Then, when there’s a sudden change, it can be hard to adjust to this new normal, creating the opportunity for mistakes to occur. By being an advocate for your loved one to ask questions about their care, though, you will help to make mistakes much less likely.
As hard as it can be for someone to be in the hospital long-term, it can be even harder for you as their caregiver. That’s why taking time for yourself is important when you’re tired or depressed. By recharging your batteries, you’ll be better able to provide power for your loved one.
About the Writer: Anica is a professional content and copywriter from San Francisco, California. She loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. Raised in a big family, voting on things is normal. Also, cartwheels are her specialty.
