VISITING THE SICK IN HOSPITAL-GOOD OR BAD?

It is natural that all of us want to be healthy all the time and get very perturbed when we are sick. However, some people react so badly during phases of illnesses that they lose their self confidence and get into a depression. This makes their recovery not only difficult, but the doctors also find it difficult to make them comply with the medical instructions. The patient may not take the medication regularly, may not follow the dietary advice and not cooperate fully with supportive therapy such as exercises (physiotherapy). It is during these periods that the words of encouragement and supportive actions that the friends and relatives provide help the sick person to face the illness with courage.
There is enough scientific evidence to show that facing the illness with confidence helps the recovery process significantly. The sick person is made to feel that there are many around him wishing for his recovery. He looks forward to living with these people in a normal fashion, as he did before the onset of the illness. Thus, the custom of visiting the sick which has been practiced all over the world by people of various cultures, ethnic and religious backgrounds has a sound and logical basis. Why then doctors and hospital administrators restrict friends and relatives from visiting the patients in the hospitals? Is it necessary or justified? Or is it a show of authority or bureaucratic behavior on the part of the authorities?
Medical knowledge and experience have shown that while visiting the sick in hospital has some benefits, such visits if done without any restrictions produce a lot of harmful effects affect the patients as well as the visitors and these issues are explained in some detail below.

Adverse effects on the patients:

While most patients would find some solace in seeing the relatives and friends, some patients become very emotional and even begin to cry or weep on seeing close relatives and friends. This may adversely affect the health of critically ill patients being treated in the intensive care units, those with heart disease and those with problems in maintaining normal blood pressure.
Patients with reduction in body immunity such as those are treated with anticancer drugs and those with certain blood diseases are highly prone (susceptible) to infection with micro-organisms such as bacteria and viruses. The visitors who come to see the sick may themselves be ill as a result of infection with these micro-organisms; the visitors may carry these organisms in their skin or throat without themselves having any symptoms. In both situations, the visitors may easily spread these bacteria and viruses to the patients who have decreased immunity or ability to protect themselves from these infections. So, in addition to suffering from their primary disease, the patients get affected by these additional infections which would seriously affect their recovery. The visitors though may come to see the patient with good intentions have unintentionally done them more harm than good.

Adverse effects on the visitors:

On the other side, the visitors themselves may acquire the infections that are prevalent in the hospital. Such prevalence is more common in certain wards such as those treating infectious diseases like measles, mumps, tuberculosis, gastroenteritis etc. Children and elderly visitors are particularly susceptible to acquire such infections because of their reduced immunity. That is why hospitals generally discourage visitors bringing their children to hospitals to see the sick patients. Among the children, neonates (babies less than one month old) and infants(less than one year of age) are particularly vulnerable. Of the elderly, those above the age of 65 years, those suffering from diseases such as diabetes, kidney diseases, malnourished persons and those on drugs such as steroids have less immunity against getting infections.

How can relatives and friends help in the recovery of the patients?:

Express your support and provide any possible assistance to the family members. This may be in the form of looking after their children for few days or assisting in the transport of close family members of the patient. Patients will come to know of these gestures when they are in a fit position to comprehend. This will relieve a lot of their anxiety and help in their recovery. This is more important than visiting just to fulfill an obligation or social routine.
Send a ‘get-well’ card. It need not be expensive but the sincere words of good wishes written in the card are more important. Most people become more philosophical and religious when they are unwell and do appreciate such gestures. If you do visit the hospital, stick to visiting hours. Avoid taking children and elderly, unless absolutely essential.
Do not make it a point to visit the person frequently unless your presence is absolutely required for the recovery of the patient. Of course, you can get information on the progress of the patient by either calling the relative and if the patient has adequately recovered by calling him directly also. The advances in communication technology and the availability of the hand phones have made such contacts easy and practical. You can politely explain to the patient and relatives, the good intentions in not paying frequent visits. Once this culture is developed and the awareness of the society on these issues is increased, infrequent visits to the hospital will not be taken as discourteous act.
Avoid visiting the hospital if you have symptoms of an infection or have recently come in contact with a person having infection at home or in the office.
Follow the instructions given by the doctors while in the ward on a visit. If you happen to handle or touch the patient wash your hands before and after this. Hand-washing is insisted when touching neonates, patients who are treated in intensive care units and with depressed immunity. The visitors may be expected to wear the gowns provided as well as wear a face mask when getting near such patients. Such instructions should be meticulously followed even if you are not watched by anyone.
In conclusion, caring for friends and relatives who are ill is the obligation of any civilized society. Visiting them in hospital is an acceptable gesture to show that you care for them. But it should be done not as a social ritual but with enough understanding of the principles and the pros and cons in doing it.

Taken from MEP magazine, volume #03, page 36 & 37, on Visiting the Sick-Good or Bad