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Families' page

Having a loved one in Intensive Care can be an incredibly stressful and upsetting time for families and friends, particularly during the coronavirus outbreak.It can be difficult to think straight when you feel like your whole life has been turned upside down, often without warning. If you live with, or have been in close contact with the person in Intensive Care with COVID-19, you will need to follow current guidance on self isolation and social distancing. In this section, we've provided links to the guidance, some general information and advice on how to make sure you and your family are kept up to date, and practical issues such as work, money and legal issues.

Sadly, some patients don't survive their illness. We have also provided what we hope is some useful information and advice on some of the things you need to do if you lose a loved one.We have also provided to some links to organisations who can provide you with emotional support. We are very sorry for your loss.

 

 

 

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Web Link: Children & young people: advice & support for parents during COVID-19

It can be extremely difficult to keep family life ticking over while you have a family member in Intensive Care. They too will be very worried and anxious about having a relative or close family friend in Intensive Care or in hospital with COVID-19.This link will take you to the website of the NSPCC. There's some great advice about talking to children about coronavirus (including children with special educational needs and disabilities), and taking care of your own emotional well-being...

Web Link: Children & young people: talking about COVID-19

Talking to children and young people about coronavirus can be really difficult. This link will take you to the webpage of the Mental Health Foundation. They offer some really sensible, comprehensive advice on dealing with uncertainty, making sense of the media, safety, social and social distancing.

Web Link: Children and online visiting (booklet from ICUsteps)

This link will take you to a booklet for children from ICUsteps, the UK's ICU patient and family support group. The booklet is for children who are not able to visit their loved one during the pandemic, and for whom virtual or online visiting (using a mobile phone or tablet) might be appropriate. The booklet includes simple text, drawings and drawing exercises to help children make sense of what is happening while their loved one is in Intensive Care. It deals sensitively with a range...

Web Link: Children and teenagers:where to get support

This weblink takes you to the Winston's wish website; a charity offering advice and support for children and teenagers when someone close is seriously ill or has died. They have produced a number of booklets which can be purchased online. Contact details for a telephone helpline for parents and an email address are also provided.

Web Link: Children: how to tell them that someone is very ill or has died

It can be very difficult to know how to tell children and teenagers that a family member is very ill or has died. This link takes you to Winston's wish, a charity supporting bereaved children, teenagers and their families. They are based in England, but offer a national phoneline for support and resources that you can download (although you may have to pay for some of them).

Web Link: Coronavirus information (British Sign Language)

It's very, very important that you look after yourself during these worrying times.Please check with the regularly updated guidance on the homepage of this website*If you live with, or have been in close contact with the person admitted to Intensive Care with COVID-19, you'll need to follow current guidance on self-isolation and social distancing, etc.This link will take you to a YouTube video of information on coronavirus, in British Sign Language. It was produced by Public Health...

Web Link: Coronavirus: guidance for households (British Sign Language)

It's very, very important that you look after yourself during these worrying times.If you live with, or have been in close contact with the person admitted to Intensive Care with COVID-19, you'll need to follow current guidance on self-isolation and social distancing, etc. This link with take you to a YouTube video on guidance for households with (potential) coronavirus, in British Sign Language. It was produced by Public Health Wales. *Please remember that the guidance will...

Web Link: Coronavirus: your mental health & well-being

It's really important that you look after yourself during the coronavirus outbreak. This link will take you to Public Health England's webpage, offering comprehensive, practical advice on looking after your physical and emotional wellbeing, including staying connected with others, staying active, dealing with difficult feelings, money worries, getting medication and practical help, and where to get support from other government bodies.

Web Link: Delirium (confusion, strange dreams & memories) in ICU: a video

This link will take to you a video or webinar on delirium (feeling confused or having strange dreams or memories) in ICU. The video is hosted by ICUsteps, the UK's ICU patient-led charity. You can find their website here:ICUsteps In it, the group discuss delirium, patients' experience of it, and simple things that can be done to help. They also discuss recovery from delirium after discharge home, how family members can help, and psychological support that is available. The video is...

Article: Diaries in Intensive Care (family information)

What is a diary? A diary is a booklet written for patients about their time in Intensive Care. Some Intensive Care Units use patient diaries and some don’t. They’ve been used for a number of years in other countries, but are only just beginning to be used in the UK. More research is needed to find out if and how they help. Why might (some) patients find a diary helpful? Patients often can’t remember how they ended up in Intensive Care, or what happened while they were...