Caring for someone who is chronically or seriously ill.
A caregiver describes the challenges faced in for someone chronically ill - and the skills they need to do that job. While this person cares for someone with Myasthenia Gravis, his observations apply equally to other conditions.
No matter what the diagnosis, caring for anyone who is chronically ill includes:
Easing pain, fatigue, nausea, and other discomforts - often grouped together under "palliative care" - can be crucially important to anyone who is seriously or chronically ill.
What if there's more than one medical condition at the same time?
Often people to acquire chronic conditions as they age, some more troublesome than others. The U.S. National Council on Aging's top 10 list for 2023 was:
Many seriously ill people (and many seniors) have more than one health issue at the same time - which makes it more complicated to care for them. Juggling medications, watching for drug interactions, prioritizing which condition to treat ... it's not easy!
These resources may help:
Arthritis or other joint disease
Partial or total joint replacement surgery for arthritis can be complicated. Here are ways for family caregivers to support pre- and post-surgery healing:
Autoimmune Diseases: Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, ME/CFS/Fibromyalgia, Myositis
(Although there is some uncertainty over the causes of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or myalgic encephalomyelitis, the needs of people with those syndromes are very similar to the needs of people with autoimmune diseases or immune dysfunctions.)
Cancer
Cardiovascular disease: heart disease, CHF, coronary artery disease, heart attack
Kidney disease
Neurodegenerative disease: stroke, MS, Parkinson's, Huntingdon's, epilepsy, ALS
Respiratory disease: asthma, COPD / chronic bronchitis / emphysema
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