“How can a patient be kept happy in a hospital environment?”
My mother has been dealing with complicated lung infections and is currently in the hospital. I feel she is getting depressed in the atmosphere and that is delaying her recovery. How can I keep her happy?
2 Answers
I usually try to help motivate patients with sharing goals, they want to go home as soon as possible. One way to do this is to tell them how to get home faster. I would explain to them that the best way to get home is to cause more trouble at the nurses station. Trouble does not mean anything more than getting out of bed and walking. The key to getting out if lung infection is do all you can to clear up the infection. We right orders for the nursing staff to have patients cough and deep breath but the best way to clear the lungs is to walk and walk as much as possible. That would not be possible if your mother is in isolation because of the infection but walking makes you breath deep and usually cough as well. Walking is a challenge but how often would you just deep breath if you stay in bed?? Walking also helps prevent lung infections so its good to keep you out of hospitals as well.
Spending a substantial part of your life in the hospital with significant illness could be very stressful. Living away from home and family may contribute as well. It would be important to establish if this is part of natural grief of going through so much or if this is true depression. Recommend to reach out to her primary doctor. Based on your primary physician's observation, may involve additional specialists as necessary.
