The odds are good that you will be involved in a car accident during your lifetime. For every 1000 miles you drive, you have a one in 366 chance to become an accident victim. If you aren’t involved in an accident yourself, you will most likely know someone who will be involved in an accident with a car or a truck. When you have a friend who has been involved in a serious accident with a truck, what should you do? Here are some tips for helping a friend recover from a truck accident.
Know That It’s Not Up to You to Impose Limitations
While you may think that you should impose limitations on your friend or relatives after a truck accident, you need to pause. According to a truck accident lawyer in NYC from the Barnes Firm, there are no limits to what someone can do following a truck accident. The point is not to put specifics on how far a person can go, but to allow them to get there by supporting their recovery. If your friend wants to do an activity, such as return to work, you need to let them do what feels natural to them.
Hospital Visits
If your friend has injuries that are serious enough that they are hospitalized, you should ask if you can come and visit. You may want to ask if you can bring them anything, such as flowers, books, sketch pads, or other items to make them more comfortable. If many people want to visit the patient, you’ll want to make a schedule so that all of you don’t visit the patient at the same time.
If your friend is going to be in the hospital for an extended period of time, you may want to think about providing meals for the family. When you have a loved one in the hospital, you don’t think about keeping yourself or your other family members fed. Often, friends and loved ones do a meal sign-up sheet so that family members always have a prepared meal without needing to cook.
Usually, a patient who has been in recovery in the hospital knows a day or so ahead of time when they might be getting out. You can arrange to surprise your loved one with a clean house, a cooked meal, and flowers on the day they come home. There are housecleaners and meal services available to help, which is a great welcome home present. Of course, before you send cleaners or meal services to the house, check with the patient or the family.
Surround Your Friend in Comfort
When someone you love has been in a serious accident with a truck, you’ll want to think about what you can do for the patient when they are home from the hospital. One great idea is to offer a comfort basket. Lots of friends and family can contribute to the basket. Often, comfort baskets include a plushy robe, muscle soaks, teas or other herbal remedies that promote healing, and other items to make your friend or family member feel better. You might also want to include a cushion, a gel ice pack or other items, depending on the extent of their injuries.
Encourage Movement, But Don’t Insist
After an accident, it can be very painful to move around. Muscles and joints can ache horrifically, and your friend may really find it hard just to get out of bed once they are home from the hospital. You may want to encourage them to move around. Even if they simply stretch their muscles, that’s a good start. You can help them with stretching, doing yoga, or practicing tai chi. All of these are gentle motion exercises.
What if your friend doesn’t want to stretch? Don’t insist on them stretching or moving, if they are not up to it, because it will only upset them. Instead, think about ways you can have them move around, such as shopping, walking in the park, or swimming. By making suggestions, you can encourage your friend or family member to continue to move towards getting better.
While your friend or family member is recovering from an accident, the best thing that you can do is to be there for them. It is extremely difficult to become involved in an accident, and your loved one may want to talk about the accident. Listen and encourage them to talk about the accident, because for many people, it helps them heal from trauma. The best way you can help your friend is by being there when they need you.
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