Nomenial gives 6 tips for facing and coping with an illness

Do not stigmatize illness

How to improve the quality of life for senior citizens. On many occasions, sick people feel judged and confined to the same group: that of the sick.

However, each illness is different and each person experiences its effects in a different way. We must see beyond the illness. Therefore we must see the person behind the sick person.

We have to observe the new reality as one more situation of the person who suffers it. We cannot see it as that which now defines them.

Stigmatization occurs even more in the case of older people. The condition of the senior citizens are added to the illness. This makes their actions more questionable than those of others. The starting point is the prejudice that they no longer have all the necessary skills.

Conveying to them that we care for and value their opinion is the best way to show them that they are as valid as the rest.

Physical care, but also psychological care.

When the illness arrives, whether progressively or suddenly, the environment and routine change.

We must condition the house, attend frequent medical visits and follow the guidelines for medication and care. But, besides the physical care, others become vital: the psychological ones.

Two attitudes are key: positivity and empathy. Speaking and acting from optimism and understanding will improve the reality of the sick person.

It has been demonstrated that the emotional state has a great influence on the development of the illness. Maintaining a good state of mind can stop the progression of the disease or the rapid deterioration of the person who suffers it. Let’s help him/her to achieve it.

Empower a good life

As the disease progresses, we take away capacities that make the sick person feel even more dependent.

If we enhance their virtues, focusing on the many faculties they keep intact, we would improve their day-to-day life.

A good way to empower the sick person is to assign them tasks and responsibilities. If they can’t keep up with the tasks they were doing, we can give them new ones for which they feel fulfilled. This will give them motivation to face a new day.

Personalized care for better quality life

Not only does every disease need specific treatment and care, but every person. Professional caregivers are experts in care both by their training and experience. But they must also be aware that each person responds to the disease in a very different way. This is one of the aspects that we take into account in Nomenial: the personalization of the care. Therefore, our first task is to know the family and their needs and, based on this, we select the ideal caregiver.

Thanks to this selection technique, we find a caregiver who is capable of attending to the disease in all its aspects.

Caring for the Caregiver´s quality of life

The emotional and physical wear on the caregiver is very high. In addition to the concern for the person being cared for, there is the difficulty of their work.

No one can provide quality care if they themselves are not well cared for. It is important that the caregiver has breaks and stability to give him/her all the strength he/she requires.

Accompany

All of the above are concentrated in this council. Every older person needs the company of someone who can show them that they are present and at their side. If you are sick, this becomes even more necessary.

Being able to share your fears and how the illness is changing your reality is as necessary a medicine as the ones prescribed. There is one certainty that is as hard as it is proven: the worst illness is loneliness. Nevertheless, we hope that these tips have helped you better understand how to improve the quality of life for senior citizens.