Feeling like “your self” is at the center of a person’s sense of security, perspective and control. This is even more prevalent when you find yourself out of your comfort zone, for example as a patient in a hospital. Most people view themselves as independent and active citizens in their everyday life. This changes when a person is admitted as a patient in a hospital. They will often find themselves helpless and dressed in a hospital gown, which emphasizes the feeling of being powerless.
What we choose to wear is a personal choice and a strong signal to others about who we are as individuals. Should patients and employees wear their own clothes alongside each other? An encounter as equals gives a sense of connection and makes it easier to maintain and uphold one’s energy.
Time is a resource that many of us feel like we have too little of. That is also true for patients and their closest relations. They often have to take time off from work in order to get treatment. Time is particularly valuable in the case of a terminal illness. Long waiting hours at the doctor’s office, delayed test results, repeated admission interviews are all frustrating situations. There are situations in which the same information has to be given over and over, and where a visit to the hospital could have been avoided by a simple phone call. As a patient, this costs you time and drains you of MEpower.
Time is a resource that many of us feel like we have too little of. That is also true for patients and their closest relations. They often have to take time off from work in order to get treatment. Time is particularly valuable in the case of a terminal illness. Long waiting hours at the doctor’s office, delayed test results, repeated admission interviews are all frustrating situations. There are situations in which the same information has to be given over and over, and where a visit to the hospital could have been avoided by a simple phone call. As a patient, this costs you time and drains you of MEpower.
When someone in a family is sick, it affects everyone close to them. Some need to show support and others need to be supported. People in groups help each other and will often make a stronger unit if they can stay together. When patients and their supporters are set apart in different situations, they lose some of their collective strengths and they risk losing their MEpower.
1. 1. All people are different, that is also true when they are healthy and when they are sick. Putting everyone in the same category and treating them the same does not make sense.
2. There is also a difference in patients’ MEpower. Some patients have an extensive network. Others have none. Some patients experience a crisis during treatment while other breeze through. Some know exactly what they are capable of, while others don’t have a clue.
3. A patient’s MEpower depends on a number of variables and can fluctuate during a treatment
Green patients
These patients have a lot of MEpower, they typically know what they are capable of and when they need to contact their own doctor, health center or hospital for further assistance and guidance.
Yellow Patients
Other patients with a middle level of MEpower may need a personal contact person, in order to give them a running evaluation of the help needed. Then it can be decided if they will need to see a doctor, go to the health center or hospital.
Red patients
Patient with only a little MEpower will often have the need to visit the hospital and even be admitted. They might need help from various social and health helpers at the same time. They will need a close cooperation in order to provide the best possible treatment.
Foto: Ida Wang, Idawang.dk
Rikke is a psychologist and consultant with many years of experience from patient associations and the private and public health system. She has been employed as a consultant in Red Cross and PTU, advisor for Cancer treatment organization, Military psychologist in the Danish Army, Senior Psychologist in Falck Healthcare and Development manager in The Central Regions Psychiatric. Rikke also has experience with being a patient since she battled breast cancer, and as a part of a large family and circle of friends has experienced being affected by similar incidences.
