How to take care of a sick person
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Sickness weakens the body. To gain strength and get well quickly, special care is needed.
The care a sick person recieves is frequently the most important part of his treatment.
Medicines are often not necessary. But good care is always important. The following are the basis of good care.
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[edit] 1. The comfort of the sick person
Asick person needs love and constant encoragement. A person who is sick should rest in a quiet, comfortable place with plenty of fresh air and light. The person should keep from getting too hot or cold. If the air is cold or the person is chilled, cover them with a sheet or blanket. But if the air is hot or the person has a fever, do not cover them at all.
[edit] 2. Liquids
In nearly every sickness, especially when there is fever, or diarrhea, the sick person should drink plenty of liquids: water, tea, juices, broths, etc.
[edit] 3. Personal cleanliness
It is very important to keep the sick person clean. The person should be bathed every day. If they are too sick to get out of bed, wash them with a sponge or cloth and lukewarm water. The sick person's sheets, clothes, and covers must also be kept clean. Take care to keep crumbs and bits of food out of the bed.
[edit] 4. Good food
If the sick person feels like eating, let them. Most sicknesses do not require special diets.
A sick person should drink plenty of liquids and eat a lot of nourishing food.
If the person is very weak, give them as much nourishing food as they can eat, many times a day. If necessary, mash the foods, or make them into soups or juices.
Soups seem to be a good way to give the person liquids as well as nutrition. A sick person might not have appetite so delivering as much nutrition as possible in as small a portion as possible is important.
Make nutritionally fully-rounded soups. This means with proteins, carbohydrates and fats, and very important, soluble and insoluble fiber. Protein can be animal protein (meat including red meat: fish, white meats such as pork, chicken or turkey, and eggs or egg substitute) or vegetable protein. Soy-based products such as tofu are high in protein. Pasta is also good for protein and carbohydrates. Vegetables are good for fiber. There are good fats and not-so-good fats. Fish like salmon and tuna have Omega-3, a good fat. Minimize saturated fats such as butter, bacon, things that are solid at room temperature. They are hard to digest.
A quick and easy way to make a good, nutritiously well-rounded soup is to combine frozen vegetables, pasta and meat with broth (chicken, beef, mushroom). If the sick person prefers thick, creamy soups, add milk or yogurt, or dissolved cornstarch, or mashed potatoes to change the texture. Or use a blender to turn the mixture into a thick soup. Minimize spices -- sick people probably can't taste well anyway and some spices might upset their stomachs. Do not overcook -- heat breaks down vitamins. A daily multi-vitamin can't hurt, either.
Another good all-around food for sick people is oatmeal. It is nutritious and has soluble fiber. Use unsweetened oatmeal. It lets you or the sick person control the flavor. Often, sick people's taste buds and ability to smell are affected so they might like a different level of sweetness and other flavors. You can vary how oatmeal tastes by adding flavors like cinnamon, or nutmeg, a banana, or raisins, brown sugar, other syrups such as maple, chocolate... make it more interesting.
[edit] Special care for a person who is very ill
See Special care for a person who is very ill.
[edit] Notes
See list of original sources#How to take care of a sick person.
