Having a family member in a hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) can cause significant tension, worry, and stress. You might feel upset, anxious, and confused about what you need to do to help your critically ill family member.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when you visit a family member in the ICU, so you can stay connected and engaged with them.
1. Be Positive
No matter what happens, you should endeavour to stay positive. Even though you might feel helpless and anxious, just sitting at their bedside or talking to the patient in a calm and gentle manner may make a positive contribution to how they cope with their present circumstances.
A composed and positive presence may provide comfort to the patient. Hearing your voice may be of great help, too. Don’t assume that just because the patient is hooked up to machines that they can’t hear you. There’s no need to shout or speak too loudly. Talk calmly and softly instead - even if they aren’t conscious, a soothing and gentle tone has been shown to help. Remind your loved one about good times and happy memories to make them feel better. You can also try reading their favourite book or the latest newspaper.
2. Make The Patient Feel Comfortable
Try to keep your loved one in the ICU comfortable at all times. Your family member may not be able to communicate or move properly, so make sure that you set the room temperature to what they’re most comfortable in and adjust the lights according to the patient’s preference. Your family member may also request certain things to help them relax or feel better, so make sure that you listen and do your best to accommodate them. Fortunately, you can access various online resources to read more about the best things you can do for your loved one in the ICU.
3. Keep Your Emotions In Check
Another important tip you should keep in mind when visiting a family member in the ICU is to try and keep your emotions in check. Your emotions are likely to run high when you’re in a stressful situation like this, but you should try your best to remain calm and regulate the emotions you’re experiencing. If you have an emotional outburst, it’s likely that the patient may feel more stressed, which in turn may make the situation worse.
4. Don’t Interfere With The Professionals
It’s important to remember that your role as a visitor is to give love and support to the patient. You’re not a doctor, and the hospital is likely full of patients, so you should try to avoid interjecting if a nurse is talking to the other patients or if a doctor is giving instructions. Keep in mind that you’re there to offer emotional support to your family member, whose disease might be a traumatising experience . You should refrain from trying to interfere or add on to what someone is saying, and you should let the primary carer handle whatever it is that the patient needs.
5. Avoid Bringing In Too Many People
Avoid bringing in too many people when you visit your loved one in the ICU. Bringing in too many visitors and staying for extended periods of time won’t be beneficial to the patient, especially if they’re still in a critical state.
Rest is an important part of a patient’s treatment process. It’s best that you keep the number of visitors at a minimum and avoid staying too long so the patient can rest. Patients who are in the ICU need a lot of time to rest and recover, and if you stay too long, you may end up robbing the patient’s time for much-needed recuperation.
You may also want to develop an appropriate visiting strategy for the patient, which will better accommodate your loved one’s schedule and recovery. Note that this strategy may change as the patient’s condition continues to improve.
6. Observe Proper Hygiene
It’s crucial for you to be conscious about proper hygiene if you’re visiting a loved one who’s in the ICU. Be sure to wash your hands properly before entering the ICU so you don’t put your family member’s health and safety at risk.
Also, remember to do this again when you leave the ICU. If there’s a sign on the ICU to check in with the nurse before entering, do so, as there might be additional precautions to observe to help prevent the spread of germs and bacteria.
7. Getting Updates
You should assign at least two other family members as points of contact for the attending physicians and nurses to get updates about your loved one’s status and condition if they can’t get in contact with you. They can then pass on any vital information easily to both yourself and the rest of the family. You should also consider recording important information in a journal.
Keep in mind that the ICU personnel won't have the time to answer the same questions from multiple family members. They’re very busy attending to your loved one and other patients, so tell the rest of your family which members are points of contact so they can pass on information or ask questions.
8. Take Care Of Yourself
You also have to learn how to take care of yourself as well, especially if you’re tasked with watching over a family member in the ICU. Unless your loved one is very unstable, you need to make sure that you take the time to rest. You can’t support your loved one if you’re exhausted. Ask the nurse if there’s a bed for you to use so you can sleep at night.
If you’re going home, ensure that you inform the nurse and ask them to give you a call if there are any changes. You don’t have to worry about your loved one because they’re under close observation. The ICU is the safest place for your loved one to be in, given their condition.