Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Tips for Helping a Loved One Navigate Injury Rehabilitation
Moneymagpie Team
23rd May 2024
When someone says they feel they’re a personal injury victim, that could mean they’re getting ready to sue a person or entity. If they feel that an individual or company harmed them, and they can prove it, that might be reason enough to go after that person or entity in court. If the injured party has medical bills or lost wages because of what happened, then this possibility could easily become a reality.
In the meantime though, maybe you’re witnessing the pain and suffering this family member or friend is going through while they recover from an injury they suffered or an illness they contracted. You may not know how to help a friend recovering from an injury, but we’ll talk about that now. Your family member or friend will need someone who can tend to their needs while they’re at home recovering following the accident or incident that hurt them.
- Who Can Help a Personal Injury Victim?
- What Might You Do for Your Friend or Family Member?
- Try to Be Patient with Them
- What Might You Say if a Family Member or Friend Doesn’t Appreciate Your Help?
Who Can Help a Personal Injury Victim?
Let’s imagine a scenario for a moment. We’ll say that someone sustained an injury, and they feel like they can blame a particular person or company. Maybe they used a product that harmed them, so they’re suing the manufacturer. Perhaps a drunk driver hit their car and hurt them. Maybe a vicious dog bit them and they’re suing the owner.
No matter what happened, they’re now stuck at home recovering. They might recover completely once some time has passed, or it could turn out that they have sustained a permanent injury. Regardless of these details, they can’t get around the house as well as they once could. Maybe they can’t walk very well, or they can’t bathe themselves. They might also have difficulty doing things like laundry or preparing food.
Different possibilities exist for such a person and situation. They might hire a home helper to assist them. However, they may also ask a relative or friend to help them, and that’s where you come in.
What Might You Do for Your Friend or Family Member?
You may not have professional experience as a home helper. However, you likely at least have the ability to cook and clean for this person. Those things might be a tremendous help to them.
If you’re a family member, then you’re already living with this person. When you get up in the morning, you might help them to bathe themselves. If they have on bandages or a dressing, you can change that for them. You can help to cook them breakfast. You might collect any dirty clothing and do laundry for them.
If they have to engage in any physical therapy exercises, you might help them with those. Presumably, their doctor told them how best to recover from whatever happened to them. You can assist them as they work their way back to full strength.
Try to Be Patient with Them
The injured party, when they sue the individual or entity that harmed them, might have a dollar amount in mind. It’s relatively easy if that dollar amount comes to what they would have made at work while they had to recover, plus the medical bills they had to pay.
Those things might be on their mind a lot, but they also need to focus on getting well. That might involve taking whatever medication a doctor prescribed. They may need to do daily exercises. You can help them with those.
However, they may also experience significant frustration sometimes. If they injured themselves severely, it may take quite some time for them to get back to where they were before.
They might not be the most fun to be around. You’d hope they will appreciate what you’re doing for them, but it’s also not uncommon for an injured or sick individual to lash out. Maybe you’re helping them out of love, but they might not always appreciate you as well as they might.
If necessary, you can always take a little time and distance yourself from them. If you need to, go out for a while to cool your head. You might go for a walk or go sit in a public park or somewhere else that makes you feel calm.
Try to remember that this person is facing a stiff challenge. If they had complete autonomy in the past, they might chafe at you helping them, even if you mean well. They should not ever get abusive, though, or you might need to speak to them about their behavior.
What Might You Say if a Family Member or Friend Doesn’t Appreciate Your Help?
If you feel that the person who you’re trying to help doesn’t feel the way about you that you would like, you can always talk to them about that. You should speak earnestly, but tactfully.
You can say you’re in their corner and you understand their frustrations, but you’re not the enemy. Remind them that you were not the one who hurt them. Some other person or entity carries that responsibility. Hopefully, the court system will hold them liable.
In the best of circumstances, the person who you’re helping will eventually recover fully. They might get their strength and abilities back a little bit at a time. You can celebrate those milestone moments together. If they also win their court case, that will likely make them feel better as well.
You might also sometimes have a scenario where the person won’t fully recover. Maybe whatever happened to them caused permanent damage.
If so, their road back to some semblance of normalcy becomes much more difficult. On those occasions, you can be there for this individual if they feel they need to vent.
However, you should also watch out for your own mental health during these times. If the injured party needs therapy so they can talk out their feelings, maybe that’s best for them. You might end up needing that same thing, though. Hopefully, the two of you can through this difficult time together.
Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.
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