Let’s Get Serious About Our Health, Now and In The Future

Caregivers and health providers with experience in palliative care in the Cedar Rapids area often encourage people to worry less about the future and try to concentrate more on dealing with today.

The staff at Above and Beyond Home Health Care will agree that this philosophy can be challenging at times for people who may have been conditioned to look ahead as much as possible much of their lives for things like project planning, investment, and retirement. But inviting people to try and ‘live in the now’ is often a good way to help them enjoy the gifts of each day, while their caregivers focus on helping them be as comfortable as possible.

Even in hospice situations, a form of palliative care, people sometimes are encouraged to spend a certain amount of time thinking about the future of their families after their passing or finalizing some of their final arrangements.

But apart from these discussions, much more emphasis is placed on helping them enjoy and treasure their remaining time with loved ones. These moments don’t have to require only serious or somber discussions with great insight either; they can simply be people who love each other coming together to have fun, share past special memories and even make a few more in the process.

After all, even though one person may be under hospice care and encouraged to focus on the present, all of us should try and have that same approach: we all have an unknown number of days remaining in our lives, so we may as well make them all memorable whenever possible doing the things we love with the people we love.

Looking Further Ahead

The philosophy of trying to take things one day at a time is always useful, especially in family situations.

Beyond just being a useful personal philosophy, however, there are some times when it is useful to look toward the future, namely speculating on local, national and global health needs.

There are currently about 7.6 billion people on the planet, a figure that’s expected to grow significantly in the next few decades.

Every country has their own respective health systems, from those with individualized care for their community in a smaller population to complex bureaucracies covering millions, even billions of people. In places like the U.S., health care professionals are encouraged to focus on ‘the now,’ with their patients, but at the same time, they are encouraged to think about future delivery of health care, who may be needing it and how people will be eligible.

Some of these conversations have been taking place in Washington, D.C., or at state capitols since lawmakers are encouraged to look ahead to future health needs.

Public Health Can Help

Public health agencies also can have a role in these discussions. April 2-8 is considered National Public Health Week which can be a useful time for individuals and agencies to look ahead to not just local health needs but the health needs of the whole country and the world.

The American Public Health Association has marked the occasion with an invitation to focus on preventative measures which can help improve everyone’s health, no matter their ages or condition.

This effort can include collaborating with public health departments and local businesses and even pushing lawmakers to consider better health and wellness policies. Ultimately, the week’s goal can be to create healthy nations.

The sentiment of the week can also expand into the upcoming World Health Day, a celebration and initiative promoted by the World Health Organization.

This day also encourages individuals and civic leaders around the planet to continue seeking ways to provide quality care to as many people as possible, without causing them to undergo any problems with access to universal care due to financial costs.

The WHO estimates that half the world lacks access to essential health services, and health costs cause 100 million people to be pushed into poverty. By 2023, 1 billion people are projected to need access to health care.

Start Small

Though it’s easy to start to feel overwhelmed and intimidated when hearing about these large numbers of people around the world who need help, sometimes the best you can do is focus on yourself, your health and what’s around you.

Often, people are encouraged to put effort into getting themselves well, or least looking for ways to help themselves feel better if their overall prognosis isn’t positive.

A home health care company like Above and Beyond Home Health Care can help patients and their families look toward the future, while at the same time focusing on helping them enjoy one day at a time.

The company works with patients, their families, and caregivers through the Cedar Rapids area and other parts of Iowa, and provides everything from massage therapy to physical therapy. Employees can even provide caregiving and home health services, including meal preparation, cleaning, dressing and helping with medications.