Tips for Caregivers of People with Liver Disease

People with liver disease may need physical, emotional, and spiritual assistance. Often these needs are met by family members or friends.

Are You a Caregiver?

Caregivers for people with liver disease give help when it is needed. Most people who assist a family member or friend with liver disease do not think of themselves as caregivers. If you often do any of the following for a person with liver disease, you are a caregiver:

• Help with household activities such as grocery shopping, preparing meals, cleaning, lawn care, or bill paying
• Assist in personal care activities such as bathing, eating, or toileting
• Provide transportation to doctor’s appointments
• Offer advice on medical decisions
  

Tips for Caregivers

Many caregivers feel unprepared to help with the needs of people with liver disease and, at the same time, answer their own needs in their own lives. If you are a caregiver, here are some tips to help you manage these often conflicting demands.

Be organized. Keep a journal and make a list of all the things you do to help someone with liver disease. Decide which needs you can meet and which can be handled by other people. Ask friends, family members, neighbors, and co-workers for help. Check with local community agencies, religious organizations, and hospitals or health care clinics for information on volunteer and respite care programs that may offer assistance.

Seek support. Talk to other caregivers who will understand how you feel and may share how they manage similar situations. Talk with family members, friends, or religious leaders who will be supportive. Attend individual or group counseling. A social worker may be able to help you find support groups in your area. Some organizations offer in-person or online counseling sessions.

Be informed. If you make healthcare decisions for a person with liver disease, use his or her health care team for medical support and guidance. With the patient’s permission, speak to the doctors, nurses, or other health care professionals. In your journal, create a list of questions and write down the answers so you can refer to them again.

For help with insurance questions, call the patient’s insurance company. Many companies will assign case managers to answer patients’ insurance and benefits concerns, and assist with getting other health-related services.

Be good to yourself. Take some time for you, even if it’s just a few minutes. Have coffee or dinner with friends or family, read a book, exercise, or do something you really enjoy.

For more information, call us at 1-800-GO-LIVER, or write to us.

Page updated: October 4th, 2011