Topic 1, Chronic Illness Example

Topic 1, Chronic Illness Example Topic 1, Chronic Illness â€" Essay Example > Chronic illness is a state of disease with pathological changes which cannot be revoked, lasting for more than three months and causing permanent disability eventually (Lubkin Larson, 1978). There is a link between chronic illnesses and family life cycle. Therefore there is a need for a topology that define the psychological demands of the chronic illnesses rather than having only biological criteria that emphasizes only on ways to meet needs of medicines or just formulate a medical treatment. According to Rolland (1987), there are categories that define in a wide way the psychological factors of the chronic illness and the family. They include; onset, outcome and degree of incapacitation of illness. For the onset category, diseases can be divided as having either an acute onset or gradual onset. In this case the affective changes are said to be short term. This requires rapid crisis management skill from families. Gradual onset subjects families to more protracted period of adju stment. The course of a chronic disease is progressive, constant or relapsing/ episodic. Progressive diseases are symptomatic and records severe progress. The family members are faced by a situation whereby the member experiences an increasing disability which keeps on progressing. There seems to be no relief to the demand of the disease and the family caretakers gets exhausted and there are still chances of new tasks arising over time (Rolland, 1987). Constant illness is when an event occurs and later the biological course stabilizes. Although recurrence may occur, it is predictable and therefore the family is exhausted but there are fewer chances of new tasks arising later. Finally the relapsing. episodic course is characterized by alternation of stable period of varying length, low levels or even absence of symptoms. The family strains when there is a crisis and the uncertainty of when next the crisis will occur. Outcome of the illness is characterized by the psychological impa ct caused by the chronic illness likelihood of causing death or shortening the life span of a member. There are expectations and anticipation grief from the family members and thus living a difficult life (Rolland, 1987). incapacitation is contributed by cognition, sensation, movement, energy production, and disfigurement or medial causes of social stigma. The crisis phase includes any symptomatic period before actual diagnosis and initial period of readjustment and coping after diagnosis and initial treatments plan has been used to classify the problem. In this case, the family and the ill member face several tasks. First they learn to deal with pain, incapacitation, or any other illness related symptoms; adjust and learn to deal with hospital environment and any disease treatment procedures; finally they have to plan and maintain a good relationship with the healthcare individual. Moreover, the family is required to create a meaning of the illness event that maximizes a preservat ion of sense of mystery and competence; pre illness family illness loss and grieve that goes with it; accept that there is permanent change while linking the past and the future; reorganize to undergo short term crises and finally having a system that is towards any future goals.