Six Ways of Supporting A Loved One Affected By Workplace Illness
If you have a loved one who has a workplace illness, don’t hesitate to reach out. Conditions such as cancer, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and blood infections cannot go away on their own and need medical intervention.
The countless doctor visits, excruciating lab tests, and treatment can be emotionally, physically, and financially taxing. Therefore, extending a helpful hand will give your loved one tremendous hope and the will to carry on.
There are many reasons anyone could get sick at work. Poor working conditions, exposure to harmful chemicals, and a weak immune system can strongly contribute to anyone getting sick.
Despite OSHA’s safety regulations, over 1 million American workers still suffer from occupational diseases. If your loved one is part of this statistic, they could use your help.
Here is how you can be a pillar for strength for them:
- Find Top-Notch Legal Assistance
Certain companies are not careful about the workplace environment and expose their employees to harmful levels of asbestos.
Consequently, this can cause a severe form of cancer called mesothelioma. A distressing illness like this is physically debilitating and will financially burden your loved one.
It is unfair that they have to pay the price for their company’s neglect. Therefore, helping your loved one connect with a reliable lawyer to file a mesothelioma lawsuit will enable them to seek justice for their health.
Most mesothelioma cases end with a settlement. It will leave your loved one with a good amount of money, which they can put towards accessing better treatment options.
These include more qualified specialists, purchasing cancer medicines, and getting a professional to provide at-home care. When your loved one gets a chance to focus on nothing else but their health, it will give them the strength to push on.
- Lend A Supportive Ear
Your loved one will feel overwhelmed while learning about their illness and may need to talk to you. Therefore, you should meet them where they are and have a conversation.
Sometimes, listening is the best way to show you care. Don’t assert yourself and dictate the terms of the conversation. Instead, let it develop organically.
Your loved ones will need time to think and compose themself before they are ready to say anything. Ensure you don’t hurt their feelings by making an unsolicited comment about their appearance or cracking jokes to ease your discomfort.
Treat this meeting seriously, compassionately, and with enough kindness so that your loved one doesn’t feel embarrassed to break down in front of you.
- Attend Appointments With Your Loved One
Dealing with the doctor alone can be intimidating. Hearing about their prognosis and chances of survival can make your loved one feel stressed. Your presence will be a source of comfort for them, and they will feel less lonely while dealing with their illness.
You may even ask questions and notice essential details which your loved one may have missed. These may include the treatment’s course duration, possible side effects, and at-home care options.
For example, while treating COPD with bronchodilators, a possible side effect is dizziness. When your loved ones know they can get dizzy, they will take more precautions while using the medication to prevent falling.
If you can’t attend your loved ones’ appointments, you should try to drive them to and from the doctor’s visit. Even if it’s just a drive, having someone in their corner will make them feel cared for.
- Provide Help In Every Way
There may be specific tasks your loved one is unable to carry out. These can include taking their children to school, helping out with laundry, looking for an infusion clinic near me for private treatment, or picking up medicines from the pharmacy.
Your loved one’s partner may also be going through a tough time. So, try being there for them too. No matter what the task is, you should ask them where you can help.
However, to make chores easier for yourself, you should ask your kin to list all the work they need handling and tackle them one by one.
This will reassure your loved one that they have someone as reliable as you to look after everything they care about.
It will also remove a tremendous burden from their partner’s shoulders and create a wholesome support system.
- Focus On Positivity
It’s natural for someone to feel depressed and anxious while recovering. Therefore, they need a break from their thoughts and have as many moments of happiness as possible.
You should consider creating a care package, fill it with your loved one’s favorite snacks, treats, books, and attach a well-thought-out note. This will bring them joy and make them feel loved.
If your loved one isn’t confined to the bed and can move with minor restrictions, consider taking them out to the park or the beach.
The gentle sea breeze and scenic views will refresh their mind and uplift their spirit. Let them know you’re always thinking about them by doing the little things which make them happy.
- Offer Financial Support
Treating workplace illnesses like traumatic workplace injuries can be very financially restrictive. Your close friend can hurt their back, have a sprain, or fracture a limb while handling heavy equipment, which unfortunately also makes up 30% of workplace injuries.
The total cost of treating a fracture and a sprain can quickly round up to $60,000 without insurance. Therefore, you should look into helping your loved one financially if you can.
One way is giving them a cash gift. This can be a large amount of cash or a series of small amounts shown over a period. Make sure you let your kinfolk know this is a gift and not a loan they need to repay.
Another way you could help with money is by taking care of some of your close one’s bills. These can be utility bills, insurance premiums, and even medical bills. This will help your loved ones through a short-term crisis and prevent them from getting stressed about money.
However, make sure you don’t go overboard with cash and help out as much as possible. Don’t put yourself in monetary jeopardy while trying to be selfless. If your loved ones are in severe financial limbo, you should start a crowdfund or a GoFundMe page instead.
Final Thoughts
When a loved one is recovering from a workplace illness, your support makes all the difference. Staying in the hospital, listening to their diagnosis, and dealing with painful treatment can weigh down your loved ones, making them miserable. Therefore, with some effort, you can lift their spirits.
Help your loved ones find a reasonable attorney so that they can file a lawsuit and get financially compensated for an illness like mesothelioma.
You should also visit the hospital frequently and give your kinsfolk company from time to time. Visiting the doctor can be a lonely affair, so try being there for them as much as possible.
Don’t forget to help around the house and take care of their family needs to ease their stress further. You should also cultivate a positive environment and leverage some monetary support. With these factors, you will help your loved ones regain their faith and enable them to hold on to their will to carry on.
