How To Support A Loved One Suffering From Serious Illness

Everyone is advised to practice social distancing amid this pandemic. While everyone is busy trying to ease into the new normal, there is one aspect of this virus that made it seemingly impossible for some people to survive. 

Being in isolation is one of the best ways to prevent the virus from spreading, but isolation is also the key that opens the doors to various mental health concerns. Indeed, the coronavirus pandemic has put a lot of people in a difficult position. But do they have to feel alone? 

How Can You Care For People You Love?

Helping someone up is one of the most rewarding things you can do in this lifetime. It is when they are down that people appreciate all the help they could get. While everyone desires to stay healthy at this time, the pandemic has just made everyone vulnerable, making it all the more difficult for people to show they are caring for you. 

But when everyone is asked to stay in their homes, who will take care of those we love who live on their own? It will feel like you are in a limbo of worry and uncertainty. While you can always do phone calls to check up on them, it is different than when you are there in person.

Everyone, especially those who are sick but are left alone to care for themselves, feel lost and lonely. The worth health crisis seems to have made life even more difficult for them. The community's vulnerable sector has had their conditions worse, not to mention how challenging it is to deal with unsupportable boredom. 

The story of those who are left alone to tend to themselves is not one for the books. There are so many others like them whose lives have become tougher due to the pandemic. And when the people who care for them do not know much about the disease or how to prevent it, advocating for their physical, emotional, and mental health care becomes even more demanding. 

Caring for the sick is just one aspect of life that this pandemic has made difficult. But if you want to help, you will always find some way. 

Practical Tips To Care For Loved Ones Amid The Pandemic

There's this unimaginable fear of loved ones dying on us, and that's just the worst that could happen. Here are some ways you can show your support to loved ones suffering from severe illnesses and show them some love even from a distance:

Tip 1: Send them thoughtful cards

Whether it is homemade art or a store-bought card, your loved ones who are sick will feel some comfort knowing that they are remembered. It is not about how beautiful the card or how wonderful the message is. The more critical aspect of it is the thought that comes with the card. Sending "get well soon" or "thinking of you" cards help both members of the family to express their love for each other. 

Tip 2: Consider sending them comfort food

Food always finds its way to the stomach and to the heart of those who send it too. Giving them comfort food that they really like will make them feel good, but it will remind them that people like you are in their lives as a living reminder that they will always be loved. 

Apart from food, there are other treats that you can send out or deliver to a sick loved one. Flowers, potted plants, or even balloons could help brighten up their day. 

Tip 3: Make that video call possible

Whoever said you could not see each other during this pandemic must have never tried video calling their loved ones. New technology has allowed families to reconnect and stay connected while the world battles in the coronavirus pandemic. Video calls are always lovely. They are a reminder that there is still a way to connect with the people you love, even in the most impossible of situations. 

Tip 4: Keep in touch

Through handwritten letters, emails, and phone calls, you can be with your loved one and still show them that you care a lot even if you are not there physically. For as long as you do your best to show that they are loved, they will feel that even though they are miles apart. 

How Do You Help Them Deal With The Pandemic?

Talking about the pandemic is one of the best ways to help people with the changes that it comes with. The more they know, the more they will be able to prepare for it. The uncertainty of the times can indeed make it difficult for some to adjust. But when equipped with more knowledge, they would be able to make adjustments in how they live their lives and what they expect to happen. 

While the reality may be challenging to accept, taking courageous conversations that acknowledge the truth makes it acceptable, even for a bit. Here are some tips on how you can talk about the pandemic without making it as scary as it is:

Be prepared

Before you engage in any conversation about it, make sure that you are ready to listen. Talking about the pandemic means listening to other people's fears. It means talking about what scares them and what comforts them at this time too. The sensations that you feel during the talk in your body's way of recognizing the stress and dealing with it the best way it knows how. 

Acknowledge the uncertainty

When you listen to them, acknowledge the uncertainty that they feel. How is the loss affecting them? When the news of the death toll is rising, listen when they express how they feel about it. Acknowledging the uncertainty does not make things go away, but it prepares you mentally and emotionally to expect the best, but still prepare for the worst. 

Be positive

While they may speak of their negative emotions, you can try to help them see everything's positive side. Allowing them to talk about how they feel is validating their feelings. Show them that you appreciate that they are talking to you. 

Dealing with a difficult situation like this pandemic is never easy. The uncertainty of the times makes it even more challenging. But knowing that you have each other's back is always an excellent way to start a good day.