Supporting Patients and Families Through Social Wellness

At Pure Healthcare, we recognize that social wellness is an important part of the lives of each person and family we serve. By developing meaningful relationships and interacting with others throughout our lives, we nurture relationships with others and give and receive social support during the good times and the difficult times. In palliative care, social wellness can improve an individual’s quality of life and help family members.

Being diagnosed with a chronic illness is difficult. By taking a whole-person approach and addressing more than a person’s symptoms, we’re working to make healthcare better.

When facing a chronic illness, common feelings for patients and loved ones include sadness, anxiety, fear, anger, and stress. These emotions come from new grief and the unknowns of illness. Social wellness and support help encourage the individuals we serve and their families.

Positive social habits help build support systems and help you stay healthier mentally and physically. Social support can take many forms, including:

  • Emotional support, such as ensuring another person feels cared for.
  • Physical support, such as housekeeping or financial assistance.
  • Informational support, such as providing information to someone to help them.

Caregivers who care for an individual with a chronic illness also should make an effort to improve their social wellness health. The expert care teams at Pure Healthcare offer clinical support to individuals and their families, as well as emotional and spiritual support.

Ways to improve your social wellness health include:

  • Make connections with others. Family, friends, neighbors, or romantic partners can influence our well-being and reduce stress.
  • Take care of yourself while caring for others. Many of us will end up being caregivers at some point in our lives. Stress can take a toll on your health, so it is important to find ways to care for your health too.
  • Get active together. Where you live, work, or go to school can impact how much you move. Being active with others in your community can positively impact your health and create new opportunities to connect.
  • Shape your family’s health habits. If you’re a parent, your everyday behavior plays a big part in shaping your child’s behavior too. With your help, kids can learn to develop healthy eating and physical activity habits to last throughout their lives.
  • Build strong, healthy relationships. They can impact your mental and physical well-being, and make you feel safe, valued, and trusted.

Tips for Caregivers: Social Wellness and Your Health

At Pure Healthcare, our approach to healthcare is comprehensive. We care for the complete spectrum of needs for individuals facing a chronic illness and their caregivers. We provide person-centered care, holistic treatment options, and an interdisciplinary care team of doctors, nurses, therapists and specialists for individuals and their caregivers.

Social wellness health is important for both individuals facing a chronic illness and their caregivers. The positive connections with family and friends are a key component of palliative care. Social wellness health focuses on relationships and the positive benefits that help mental, emotional, or physical health.

Caregivers also need support with the physical and emotionally demanding care they provide their loved ones.

Here are a few ways for caregivers to improve their social wellness health while caring for a loved one facing a chronic illness.

  • Look for easy ways to connect with friends. A phone call, a short coffee break, or a walk with a friend can bring joy and helps maintain personal relationships.
  • Get active. Walking, swimming, running, or bike riding are some ways to get moving, but working in the garden, mowing, or shopping can help keep your body healthy too. Finding 15 to 30 minutes each day to exercise may make you feel better and manage stress.
  • Keep up your routine. If you can, try to stay engaged in your regular activities which can help to manage stress and offer a social outlet.
  • Ask for help. Take a look at what you can and cannot do and be willing to let others help you. Some examples may be asking for help with chores such as cooking or cleaning, picking up children from activities, driving your loved one to appointments, or picking up medicines.
  • Join support groups. Support groups meet in person, by phone, or online and help you gain insights into what is happening, offer ideas on how to cope, and reassure you that you are not alone.
  • Connect with your loved one. Take time to share special moments with your loved one and gain strength through each other.

Social Wellness: Making Each Day MatterTM

As part of its commitment to making each day matterTM for individuals and families facing a chronic illness, Pure Healthcare recognizes the importance of social wellness.

Social wellness — the positive connections with family, friends, caregivers, and anyone else — is a key component of palliative care. It focuses on relationships and the positive benefits that help mental, emotional, or physical health.

Pure Healthcare is committed to taking a whole-person approach to care that addresses more than a person’s symptoms and values the unique circumstances of each person we have the privilege of serving. Our expert care teams develop individualized plans for patients in collaboration with primary care providers and other healthcare professionals to ensure a seamless transition.

Comprehensive, compassionate healthcare from Pure Healthcare includes the complete spectrum of needs for patients and their caregivers, including behavior health therapies, psychosocial support, nutrition and exercise support, music and art therapy, massage and acupuncture, and social work and counseling.

  • For Hannah, a dedicated routine and support from Pure Healthcare helped her and her family focus on what was important to them: being a family. Doctors were able to move beyond the diagnosis and improve her quality of life with symptom management and social support.
  • When Cathy was diagnosed with breast cancer, she experienced challenges with mental and emotional wellness. Working with the team at Pure Healthcare helped her manage social wellness as well as her cancer symptoms so she could focus on the things that mattered to her: finding joy in each day, spending time in nature, and traveling.
  • Angela is living with the effects of a serious illness and saw a decline in her ability to do normal activities with her loved ones. She worked with Pure Healthcare to proactively manage her health and can enjoy time with her family again and watch her nieces and nephews grow.

Tips for Caregivers: How to Keep Loved Ones Safe During the Summer

Summer is often a time to get together with friends, family and loved ones outdoors. As temperatures rise, and the sun shines bright, it is important to take the proper precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses. Individuals with pre-existing conditions, people ages 65 and older or children under 2 years old, are most at risk in hot weather.

Below are tips for you and those in your care to stay safe during the hottest times of the year:

  • Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Seniors and people with health conditions may not feel thirsty and can become easily dehydrated. Added berries, lemons or cucumbers can help make it more appealing.
  • Wear loose, lightweight clothing and a hat. Put away winter clothes so those with Alzheimer’s or dementia don’t make unseasonal and potentially dangerous choices.
  • Shield your eyes with sturdy, protective sunglasses. Many older adults experience vision loss as they age. During the summer months, the bright and direct sunlight and UV rays can take a further toll, causing problems from discomfort to lasting vision damage.
  • Check medications. Some medications make the skin extra sensitive to the sun, and sun can make side effect worse, like dehydration and muscle cramps. Medications may also need to be stored in a cool place to avoid spoiling or loss of effectiveness.
  • Stay in an air-conditioned environment. Do not only rely on fans to cool you down. Seniors and people with health conditions don’t adjust easily to changes in temperature, so keep the temperature as consistent and comfortable as possible.
  • Always wear sunscreen and stay out of direct sun. Sunburn impacts the body’s ability to cool itself.
  • Use mosquito repellent to minimize bug bites. Seniors and those with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable to mosquito-borne diseases.
  • Limit outdoor activity and exercise during the hottest times of the day, between 11 am and 3 pm.

It is also important to know if you or someone else is experiencing heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Heat exhaustion symptoms include:

  • Sweating
  • Paleness
  • Muscle cramps
  • Fatigue
  • Weakness
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Fainting
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Rapid pulse

Those feeling heat exhaustion symptoms should rest in a cool place — preferably an air-conditioned environment — and drink cool fluids, especially water. Seek medical attention if symptoms worsen or persist longer than one hour.

If someone is suffering from heat stroke, seek emergency assistance immediately. Heat stroke symptoms include:

  • A body temperature above 103 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Red and hot skin
  • No sweating even if it is hot
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Confusion
  • Unconsciousness