Caring for a friend or family member who is sick, especially the chronically ill, is not an easy job. In order for your job to run well, your health condition must always be maintained. Come on, see a complete guide on how to keep your body healthy while caring for sick people.
Caring for the sick is not as easy as one might think. There are adjustments and sacrifices that must be made, not only by the caregivers, but also by the entire family of the patients being treated.
Especially if the disease is classified as chronic, such as diabetes, arthritis, dementia, or cancer, which generally require long-term treatment.
Threatening Risk
The duties of people caring for sick patients usually include basic needs, such as preparing food and medicine, as well as helping patients bathe, dress, and defecate. This task puts them at high risk of experiencing stress, illness, and often financial problems.
Caring for sick people can indeed affect physical, emotional, and mental health, so it is not uncommon for some people who look after them to complain of various symptoms of health problems.
These health problems include heartburn, headaches, muscle or joint pain, high blood pressure, infections, to depression which can also trigger drug, alcohol abuse, and nicotine or cigarette addiction.
Your challenge may be even greater if you treat patients with certain conditions, such as dementia. The reason is that during the treatment period, a lot of energy and emotion will be drained, especially if his health continues to decline.
How to Maintain Health While Caring for Sick People
You must realize that you cannot take care of others if your own body is not healthy. Therefore, it is important to take care of physical and mental health before and during caring for the sick.
In order to stay fit and healthy while caring for the sick, you can apply the following simple methods:
1. Get enough rest
Caring for the sick is quite a tiring job. Therefore, make sure you get enough rest. So, as much as possible take advantage of as little free time as possible to rest. If you can't rest at night, you can sleep during the day or sleep while the patient is asleep.
2. Eat healthy food
Eating healthy foods should be easier to do, because the people you care for will almost certainly have to eat healthy too. So, if possible, cook healthy meals for both of you or provide healthy snacks like yogurt and fruit every day.
3. Exercise regularly
Exercise 4−6 times a week for half to an hour can help relieve stress, improve mood, while increasing energy. You can do light exercise, such as walking.
In addition, you also bring along the person you are caring for in a wheelchair, while walking around the area around the hospital if possible. Not only is it useful for you, it also helps him to refresh for a moment from a boring room atmosphere.
4. Manage stress
Caring for sick people throughout the day makes you vulnerable to stress. To reduce this risk, you can manage stress in various ways, from reading books, watching TV, watching your favorite movies, to doing hobbies you like while the person you care for is resting.
5. Check your health regularly
It is important to do medical tests when treating sick people even if you don't feel any symptoms of health problems.
If you experience unusual symptoms, such as stress, fatigue, loss of appetite, or lack of sleep, talk to your doctor. The sooner it is detected, the greater the chance to recover from the illness.
6. Avoid unhealthy lifestyle
Stop or avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking drugs. While this can make you feel calmer for a moment, you can become addicted. In the long term, this habit can have a negative impact on health.
If you're already addicted and are having trouble stopping one or all of them at once, consider seeking medical help.
7. Take a break or take a short break
Consider taking time off from caring for the sick, especially if you're feeling stressed or overwhelmed. However, your mental health will also affect the people you care for. Instead, you can ask for help from relatives or closest people to replace you for some time.
8. Try to be realistic
There's no need to feel guilty and assume you haven't tried your best when the condition of the person you care for worsens. Focus on the doctor's plans for the future or let it go if it doesn't get better.
9. Ask other people for help
Caring for the sick plus doing housework can be very tiring. For that, don't push yourself and try to share work with other people so that your burden is a little less, such as helping you cook or buying daily necessities.
10. Stay social
Stay in touch with the people around you so you don't experience stress. If you don't have time, try calling your friends or relatives over the phone. If possible, take a minute to go out with them even if it's just a walk around the house or to a cafe near the house.
Helping people in need, including caring for the sick, is a noble task. But remember, you also have to pay attention to your mental and physical health to avoid stress and other health problems. If you feel burdened and stressed, don't hesitate to consult a psychologist.
