Watching someone you love suffer a debilitating injury can be an emotional experience. You may wonder how to best show your support and when to hold off and encourage independence.
Catastrophic injuries can take a lot of time and mental grit to recover from. Sometimes, your loved one may not ever fully recover. Your response and reaction during this critical time could facilitate healing.
Understand the injury
Serious injuries can impact your loved one’s mobility, communication and independence among other things. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a catastrophic injury is one that causes financial ruin and has debilitating consequences. Some examples include the following:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Paralysis
- Amputation
- Crush injuries
- Incapacitation
Your effort to understand your loved one’s injury can help you know how to most effectively respond. Research the condition and talk with your family member’s medical team to improve your understanding. With a clear picture of how the injury will affect your loved one, you can help identify realistic goals for recovery.
Encourage recovery
Recovery is a relative term depending on the type of injury your family member has. Some victims of catastrophic injuries never fully recover. Healing might require numerous medical treatments and ongoing rehabilitative therapy. Such processes often mean grueling work and having to push through physical pain to achieve milestones. You can encourage recovery when you help with rehabilitative exercises, acknowledge progress and celebrate accomplishments.
Catastrophic injuries that result because of someone’s negligence can have a long-lasting emotional impact. You can also show your support to your loved one when you participate in any legal proceedings on their behalf.