Almost all of us believe that a sick person is best left in a hospital in the care of health care professionals rather that at home.This may be true only for persons whose illness requires constant medical care.In cases where an illness is prolonged,it may be neither practical nor even possible to leave a patient in a hospital.Firstly, because of a shortage of medical facilities, the doctors may actually discharge a patient to rest at home.In other cases , the cost of looking after a patient, who is merely resting in a hospital, may be forbidding.In such cases, a patient needs to be taken care of at home.

The first consideration for taking care of a sick person at home is genuine concern for the sick person.It is true that it is love and care that aids in healing and just rest.Many sick persons needs constant care and the person who undertake  to take care of them must be able to give it.Lots of sacrifices need to be made; there cannot be any of the usual noise and freedom that people are used to.TV and volume may have to be reduced; loud laughter may have to be restrained.Whatever other activities a home may have,with sick person to care for, the activity must now become less important.This is often a difficult sacrifice to make.

The home too may have to be re-organised to take care of the sick person.A room may have to be put aside.Special food preparation may be necessary.Medication times have to be adhered to strictly.If that is not enough, well-meaning friends and relatives would be dropping in at odd time.Visitors may have to be controlled, if patients are to be helped to get well.This is easy to do in a hospital but not so in a home, without offending people who actually care for the sick person.Well-meaning visitors will also have to be told how to behave with patient.People are more apt to accept the authority of health care professionals that ours.

Also there is always the chance of the sick person becoming worse and having to be rushed to hospital.A vehicle has to be always available or alternatively , a doctor must be on stand -by to rush and attend to the patient when necessary.This readiness to take care  of an emergency may actually make the difference between life and death.

All in all , taking care of a sick person at home is a heavy responsibility, albeit often a necessary one.On the upside, the sick person is likely to be a loved one and we can do whatever we can to show our love and concern to the person.Often this ,rather than just medicine will be responsible for the sick person getting well fast.