Coping with having a relative in ICU

It can be very frightening to be told that someone close to you has been admitted to a critical care unit. The medical team will work to ensure the patient is treated and made comfortable but this will often mean that they are sedated or their ability to communicate is greatly reduced. This can be a very difficult time for relatives to cope with but there are steps they can take to help cope with their own experiences at this time.

Relatives can help by taking care of themselves. Proper food and sleep will help you to listen and understand the important information you will be given by the critical care team. Staying awake all night, every night, will wear you down and can make you prone to illness. Do not feel you have to be available every moment; a trained medical team is caring for your loved one.

At The Bedside

You may like to keep a diary or written commentary about significant events. This may help you and the patient later in being able to recall what happened and how you felt at various points. As well as giving perspective on the progress of the patient's recovery it can help the patient understand what was happening around them at a time they cannot remember. It may also help to formulate questions you want to ask. Do touch and talk to your relative, say who you are and talk about day-to-day activities. Feel free to read a newspaper, magazine or book to them, as it can be difficult to continue a one-way conversation.

Communicating with your relaive can be very frustrating for both parties, especially if they're being ventilated. It is natural for the patient to have many questions but communication can be a problem. Speaking may be difficult or impossible and writing may not be feasible. It can be helpful to have a sheet of paper with letters and numbers on it that the patient can point to or the relative can point to if they need to spell out words. Although it can be very time consuming it can offer an effective method of communicating and help the patient at a time of great stress.
 

Other Patients and Families

Please respect the privacy of other patients and families and do not enquire of staff about their progress or condition. Please be considerate of others by limiting noise and number of visitors. Two visitors at a time are acceptable and children may visit with the parent's consent and the agreement of the nurse in charge or at the bedside.

Infection Control

You must use alcohol hand rub on your hands before and after visiting your relative. Containers of hand rub are found at the entrance to the ICU and in every bed space. If you are involved in helping care for your relative, in addition to using the alcohol hand rub you must wash your hands and wear an apron. In the interests of all the patients in the ICU please do not visit if you are feeling unwell.

Communication Tips

It is helpful to nominate a family member as a spokesperson to act as a point of contact for receiving information and imparting this to other relatives and friends. You also need to be prepared to gather siginificant family members together to meet the consultant for condition updates. These two strategies save staff and family a great deal of time on the phone or face-to-face giving the same information to lots of different people.