How Do You Sustain Friends Coping With A Critically Ill Family Member In The Hospital?
Having a family member in the Intensive Care Unit or in Critical Care is scary and stressful. People deal with fear and stress in a number of different ways. Critical care may take days and it can involve a lot of time in the waiting room for friends and family members. Here are a few practical things you can do to be supportive. Be respectful of the family’s wishes regarding visits to the hospital. If you come to the hospital unannounced discern whether this is okay. If you get the feeling that your presence is not helpful, make your visit short. If your visit is welcome your presence along is supportive. Bring bottled water or fruit juice. Water or juice is better than filing up all day on caffeinated beverages. So stop by the store and get a few bottles of water or juice. Get them from the refrigerated section. However, if coffee and soda are the beverages of choice offer to go and get some. Often people will not want to be a bother, so simply say, I’m going to get me some coffee an
