Tips for Caregivers After a Loved One Suffers a Personal Injury
OMAHA, Nebraska. In the aftermath of an accident, most of the focus in your family may be on the person who has been injured. While it is reasonable that your family’s attention and energy will be focused on your injured loved one, it is also important to reach out for help and perform self-care. How can you support your injured loved one while also keeping yourself healthy? Here are some tips:
- Don’t try to do it all alone. If a loved one has been seriously injured, our initial temptation as loved ones and caregivers will be to try to do everything. We’ll arrange medical appointments, drive our loved ones to the doctor and to rehab, we’ll manage medicines, call adjusters, make dinners, clean the house. It is impossible to do this all on your own. Gather together a team. Ask friends and family to help. If the accident was the result of the negligent actions of another driver or person, you may want to speak to a qualified personal injury lawyer who can help you handle the legal aftermath of your loved one’s crash. The personal injury lawyers at Rensch & Rensch in Omaha, Nebraska may be able to help you deal with adjusters and assist you in seeking a recovery for your medical expenses and lost wages.
- Take care of yourself. According to Duke Today, it can be hard to balance caring for yourself while caring for your loved one. However, if you are not healthy emotionally, physically, and financially, it will be much harder to care for your loved one. Make sure you’re getting balanced meals, sleep, and exercise. Take time to socialize with people who are not the loved one you are caring for. Treat yourself to a warm bath, a movie, or a nice dinner.
- Caregiver stress is real—address it before it becomes serious. Some people are more at risk of caregiver stress. According to the Mayo Clinic, women are more prone to it, as are those who live with the loved one for whom they are caring. Social isolation, financial problems, and other difficulties can add to a caregiver’s stress. If you find yourself overwhelmed, worried, sleeping too much, angry, sad, suffering from headaches or other pains, or are using alcohol or other drugs to cope, you may want to seek assistance. Set realistic goals and find social support networks. There may be support groups in your community for caregivers. There also may be ways for you to relieve some of your financial stress—either through seeking compensation for your loved one’s losses through a lawsuit for injuries or through insurance. In some cases, compensation can provide money for family and loved one to hire required nursing care.
The aftermath of an accident can be challenging for victims as well as families. Too often supportive family members fail to address the real costs of caretaking. If a loved one has been hurt in an accident, you and your family may be entitled to receive compensation for your loved one’s medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, nursing care, and pain and suffering. Visit our law firm at https://www.renschandrensch.com/ to learn more.
