Dealing with medical treatments can be difficult for people of any age. This is especially true, however, for those numbered among the youngest patients. For many people, just the thought of subjecting their child to a medical treatment causes frustration and exhaustion, regardless of the benefits involved. However, it doesn’t necessarily have to be this way. With the right creative treatment options, you can help make medical treatments of all kinds easier for your children, ensuring that everyone can remain well during the entire treatment, both mentally and physically.
The Little Things
A great way to help medical treatments go well is to allow your child to bring along their favorite toys to the treatment location. Often a physical item of comfort can bring a great deal of courage and peace to little patients. Favorite stuffed animals can be held and squeezed when times get tough or unfamiliar things happen during the treatment process. If toys aren’t an option, handheld devices also make for good distracting and entertaining options. The main goal with any of these options is to help the child focus on something that makes them happy during the duration of their treatment, especially if that treatment lasts a long time. Treatments for chronic illnesses often require sitting still or a great deal of patience—things children often don’t have in abundance. By helping them to keep their mind busy, it’s much more likely that the treatment will go smoothly.
A Rewarding Experience
For some children, no amount of comfort or distraction will help improve the overall experience of a treatment. Some treatments are just hard. However, a bit of competition and motivation may just do the trick. By establishing a reward program for your child, you can give them a goal to shoot for to help motivate them to do better during their treatments. Rewards can either be short-term, in the form of a small prize after each treatment, or long-term, in the form of accumulating points toward a larger prize. Either way, make sure to give plenty of grace for those appointments that don’t go well. Remember to stay positive. If you’re doing well and can encourage your child during a much needed treatment, they will often rise to the occasion and be brave because you believe in them.
Focus on Comfort
As medical technology continues to improve, the amount of comfort able to be offered to patients of all ages continues to increase, as well. This means that even advanced and semi-invasive treatments, such as dialysis, can be given more comfortably, causing less disruption to the patient’s life. This is especially crucial for children, since they may not be able to easily understand the purpose behind any pain they may experience as a result of their treatment. So, it’s important to keep them as comfortable as possible. In many cases, treatments can even be performed in the home, providing an extra level of comfort for all involved. Be sure to talk to your child’s doctor about treatment options. In some cases, like kidney failure treatment, there may be at-home options available.
Lots of Love
As a parent or caregiver, of course, you understand that each of these suggestions is dependent on love to truly be successful. By consistently nurturing your child in a loving environment, they will be much more likely to respond well to any other incentives they’re offered during a treatment. Don’t be afraid to be open and honest about the treatments and condition with your child. They may not totally understand, depending on their age, but they will understand the love you have for them and the importance you place on the treatments. By standing strong with love, you will be the calm in the midst of the storm that your child desperately needs.
