Is it "SEXY" for the Intensive Care team to treat your loved one who requires a long-term stay in Intensive Care?
Published: Tue, 02/25/14
instantly improve the lives of Families of critically ill Patients
in Intensive Care, so that you can have real power, real control
and so that you can influence decision making fast, even if
you're not a doctor or a nurse in Intensive Care!
In last week's blog I've shown you "The 3 phrases you
must ALWAYS use if your loved one is critically ill in Intensive
Care" You can read, watch or listen to the update here.
http://intensivecarehotline.com/?p=5127
In this week's blog I want to give you insight in how the
Intensive Care team might view a long-term stay of your critically
ill loved one in Intensive Care and it's time that we ask
"Is it "sexy" for the Intensive Care team to treat
your loved one who requires a long-term stay in Intensive
Care?"
If your critically ill loved one has been admitted to Intensive
Care for critical illness and furthermore, if your critically ill
loved one requires a long-term stay in Intensive Care, chances are
that you feel fearful, frightened, uneasy, challenged and very
vulnerable.
What is a long-term stay in Intensive Care?
First of all, let's just quickly look at the definition of a
"long-term stay" in Intensive Care.
A long term stay in Intensive Care is generally speaking any stay
that goes beyond the 2-3 week mark and can last forever so to
speak.
The longest stay in Intensive Care that I have come across in more
than 15 years
Intensive Care nursing in three different countries is around 18
months. However I have heard of cases that stayed up to two years.
Intensive Care is not a very pleasant environment at the best of
times, let alone a long-term stay in Intensive Care.
You will encounter unique challenges whilst your loved one is
critically ill in Intensive Care
And with a long-term stay in Intensive Care, generally speaking
come unique challenges, whether it be for you, for your Family, for
the Intensive Care team and most of all for your critically ill
loved one.
Your critically ill loved one who is, who has been or who will be
in Intensive Care for long periods of time will most likely get
depressed, due to the fact that the long-term stay in Intensive
Care offers very little or no Quality of Life.
Moreover, a
long-term stay in Intensive Care also offers limited or no privacy
and dignity. Furthermore, with the Intensive Care team holding all
the perceived power and also holding the perceived decision making
power and authority, the situation that you, your Family and your
critically ill loved one find yourself in, is a situation where you
feel like you have little or no control, power and influence.
That is of course only, if you are like 99% of Families of
critically ill Patients in Intensive Care who think and act as if
they have no power, control and influence whilst their loved one is
critically ill in Intensive Care and those 99% of Families also
don't question the status quo with the Intensive Care team
holding most of the perceived power. That's a big mistake!
The 1% of Families who do have control, power and influence educate
themselves and they also act like they have control, power and
influence and it makes all the difference!
And also, as a quick frame of reference, when I talk about a
long-term Patient in Intensive Care, most of the time I refer to a
long-term ventilated Patient with Tracheostomy. There are other
examples that require a long term stay in Intensive Care such as
ECMO, Haematology or Leukaemia Patients, however the majority of
long-term Patients in Intensive Care generally speaking require
some form of mechanical ventilation with Tracheostomy.
Are you and your Family close to a nervous breakdown because you
are spending far too much time in Intensive Care?
You and your Family may get depressed as well, because clearly,
your Quality of life is suffering too, especially since you and
your Family spend far too much time in Intensive Care and you may
find yourself in a situation where you are neglecting your Family
and personal life, you may be neglecting your children or elderly
parents and you may be dealing with loss of income, since you had
to take time off work, in order to spend time with your critically
ill loved one in Intensive Care.
In fact you might be close to a
nervous breakdown because of all the stress you are experiencing!
Furthermore, what also often happens during a long-term stay in
Intensive Care is that often all parties involved get frustrated,
especially if there is little or no progress.
Two steps forward, one step back
And what also happens during a long-term stay in Intensive Care is
that more often than not, your loved one might take two steps
forward and one step back. Or your critically ill loved one might
take one step forward or two steps back.
In any case, if your critically ill loved one has been in Intensive
Care for any period above two to three weeks in Intensive Care, the
experience is generally a frustrating one and the patience and
beliefs of all parties involved are tested.
And the reality is that if the long-term stay of your critically
ill loved one in Intensive Care is getting too burdensome and
difficult that the Intensive Care team may not be prepared to
invest more time, resources and patience into the recovery of your
critically ill loved one.
Is it perceived as "sexy" to treat a long term Patient in
Intensive Care or are there any other "hidden" agendas?
Because dealing with a "long-term ventilated Patient" may
not be perceived as "sexy" by the Intensive Care team.
What do I mean by that?
CONTINUE READING HERE and find out whether it is "SEXY"
for the Intensive Care team to treat a long-term Patient in
Intensive Care http://intensivecarehotline.com/?p=5225
Also, check out our "YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED" section
where I answer all your questions!
http://intensivecarehotline.com/category/questions/
In this week I answer another question that we get frequently
"How long is too long to stay on a ventilator or respirator?"
CHECK IT OUT HERE http://intensivecarehotline.com/?p=5229
If you want your questions answered just email me at
support@intensivecarehotline.com and I'll answer your questions!
Also keep an eye out for our upcoming product launch in the next
couple of months! We are NOW finalizing our first
product that will help Families of critically ill Patients deal
with and take control of most situations in Intensive Care, even if
their loved one is dying!
The product will be an "IN-DEPTH" education product for
Families of critically ill Patients in Intensive Care and a
shortcut for Families to control, power& influence!
The product will be made available in Ebook, Video and Audio format
so that our Customers can consume the product in their chosen
medium!
If you have any questions about our upcoming products or
if you have any suggestions please let me know at
support@intensivecarehotline.com