Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Changing Roles: Taking Care.

There are times when one must be willing to step up to the plate and help make hard decisions for another person's well being. This can include not only taking them to the doctor but actually sitting in on each visit. There are releases now that doctors have where individuals can be added to freely discuss information concerning a patient. There are also times when one must consider the necessity of having a living will and power of attorney. The more decisions a person can make concerning their last days (if possible) the better for all involved. If a person is not mentally able to do so, the decisions become even more difficult with added emotions involved.

When a person has daily medicines to take, it is very helpful to have the meds made up a week at a time for convenience sake. When the meds are time sensitive, there are beepers that can help remind an individual to take them. It is good for the individual, if they are capable, of doing their meds themselves. Yet, when they reach a stage where this is simply not possible, grace and dignity are truly called upon. It is always best not to struggle with a person to get the meds down their throats if at all possible. There can even come stages where liquid meds are better suited for their needs than pills or the pills can be crushed up and put into feeding tubes through ones nose or in their stomachs.

I know one issue that most individuals really struggle with is that of personal hygiene. Having been there and done that myself (read: I've had to be bathed & etc), I know all too well the issues that can and do arise. This is where one can truly feel humiliation and embarrassment. Yet, if handled with care, after the initial shock of needing such is dealt with, it can be a sweet time. Helping someone with the most basic of human care is a form of real love. There came a time when my hubby and I bathed my daddy. I was on the day shift and hubby was at night. His being bathed depended upon how he was each day. At first, daddy wasn't too keen on his daughter and his son-in-law being a part of this. Yet, he was more than any of the nurses could handle on their own; raw honesty being told. If one can bathe their own child or another's - I submit with God's help, they too can bathe a parent or spouse or be bathed themselves.

As always, you've been prayed for.

Stay tuned. More to come.

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