Supporting a loved one who has suffered a serious injury can be a daunting and difficult time, especially if it is something that will affect the rest of their lives. By providing physical and emotional support, you can help make the life of someone who has suffered an injury just a little bit easier and much more bearable.
There are many ways in which you can offer support to someone who is recovering from injury. Here, we explore five ways you can provide help and assistance.
Pexels
Provide emotional support
Those who have suffered an injury will often experience a combination of physical pain and deep emotional distress. The emotional pain caused by trauma can be equally as debilitating. Many people who suffer an injury will experience some degree of emotional distress which can include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Guilt
- Frustration
- Insomnia
- Bitterness
Being a good listener is the most important thing that you can do for them. They may want to talk about their fears and frustrations. Try not to fall into the trap of falsely reassuring them that everything will be ok, but instead, create a calm and safe atmosphere for them to express their emotions, attend meetings with personal injury lawyers with them, as these can be quite emotionally draining, and offer reassurance when it is needed.
Ensure they keep medical appointments
The chances are they have regular check-ups and appointments with doctors or specialists, and they must keep to them to help them get better. This includes therapy, for both physical conditions and any treatment to help with any mental health issues caused by the trauma. You may need to do things like coordinating their schedule and making travel arrangements to get to them.
Keep them motivated, but not let them do too much
Many people, particularly if they were active and independent before the injury, can be in denial about the severity of their condition and the impact that it will have on their lives. This can lead them to try to push themselves too far, both physically and emotionally, in an attempt to prove that they are fine. Being motivated is one thing, but doing too much can cause considerable setbacks in their recovery.
Help with exercise and diet changes
Most serious injuries require the person to undertake some drastic lifestyle changes, and helping them to come to terms with these and facilitate them can be imperative to their health. Maybe they can no longer drive, so you have to contribute by driving them around or coordinating transport for them. Perhaps they can no longer go to the gym, but they still want to remain as active as possible. Supporting someone to find solutions so they can still enjoy activities or find alternative activities can promote a healthy body and mind. They may also require a change in diet, especially if they are no longer active and need to keep an eye on their weight, so monitoring calories and helping them to cook or source healthy, balanced meals can make a significant difference to their recovery.
Make sure they take their medication
Someone recovering from a severe injury will almost certainly be taking medication in one form or another, whether to alleviate pain or treat symptoms. Whatever it is for, they must take it on time. Certain injuries, such as those to the brain, can cause people to struggle with their memory, so organising and reminding them to take their medication is important.
Do you have any tips for someone that has to assume a care-taking role? Let me know in the comments below and thanks for reading!
Leave a Reply