When a parent or any other loved one receives the diagnosis of a chronic health condition, you might feel compelled to do everything you can to help. Some of the conventional methods of helping ailing family members include showing compassion, making sure they get to their appointments, and navigating insurance documents. These are all extremely important, but you can go above and beyond by trying some outside-the-box ideas too. This can go a long way toward showing your family members that you really care and that you'll spare no effort to be by their side every step of the way.
1. Find Active Hobbies to Enjoy TogetherHealth experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity each week for adults 65 or older. It is especially important to fit in some physical activity whenever possible if your loved one has a condition that keeps them sedentary most of the time.
Enjoy nature & a hot cup of herbal tea.
Following a simple exercise routine can be difficult for your ailing loved one and not particularly engaging for either of you. Instead, try out some active hobbies like gardening, yoga, or nature photography. Any activity that brings your loved one outdoors can also be a huge boon to their mental health.
2. Add Healthy Herbal Teas & Food to the Diet
Few things can beat the physical and spiritual benefits of a wildcrafted herbal tea. Making a habit of drinking herbal teas can provide great health benefits. You can get a wide selection of wildcrafted -better than organic!- herbal tea blends at Greek Superherbs, including detox teas, digestion teas, and sleep teas.
These aromatic and medicinal herbs come from Greece and they are 100% natural, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, caffeine-free, high in antioxidants & high potency.
According to Penn Medicine, herbal teas have unique benefits for our health. Some of the most popular herbal teas include:
- Chamomile tea – Helps to reduce menstrual pain and muscle spasms, improves sleep and relaxation, and reduces stress
- Peppermint tea – Contains menthol, which can soothe an upset stomach and serve as a cure for constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and motion sickness. This tea variety also offers pain relief from tension headaches and migraines.
- Hibiscus tea – Lowers blood pressure and fat levels, improves overall liver health, can starve off cravings for unhealthy sweets, and may prevent the formation of kidney stones
Similarly, cooking a home-cooked meal is so important and thoughtful. Coming over to cook healthy meals with pure and unprocessed ingredients, like extra virgin olive oil from Greece for your loved one is one of the best ways to help, especially if they struggle with going out to shop or preparing meals without assistance.
3. Design a Comfortable Home Office
If your loved one works from home or wishes to switch careers so they can work remotely while focusing on their health, then a functional home office is a necessity. This should be a dedicated room of the house that puts one in the right mindset for focusing on productivity.
The first step is investing in ergonomic furniture that allows your loved one to be comfortable and retain good posture for extended periods of work. The next priority is ensuring that the office is equipped with the right hardware and the best software to ensure efficient work processes. Round out the project by helping your family members establish organized systems for storing both physical and digital records pertaining to their job.
4. Reinforce Social Connections
One common pitfall of being a caregiver is assuming that it is solely your job to help your loved one. In actuality, it can be so much better for your ailing family member if you help them maintain connections with the other important people in their life. Use social media or even just an old-fashioned phone call to reconnect with old friends and family members.
It can be equally important to start building new connections at any age. You can likely conduct an internet search to find communities either online or in your local area made up of like-minded people in a similar situation as your loved one.
It is not easy for anyone to cope with a chronic condition alone, regardless of severity. Your role as a loving family member can make a world of difference for your ailing loved one. Where others might offer help out of a sense of obligation, you offer joy in a difficult time by bringing outside-the-box ideas to the table with an air of sincerity.
