Caring for someone with Psoriasis
It can be hard living with psoriasis. Below are some tips on caring for a person with psoriasis.
Emotional and practical support
If you are a carer of a person with psoriasis, you should aim to learn about psoriasis and its effects. One way to do this is to accompany the person when they attend appointments with their healthcare team. In this way, you'll have an understanding of both psoriasis and the needs of the person for whom you are caring.
- People with psoriasis can feel frustrated, unattractive and depressed; showing that you understand and care can help them overcome these feelings.
Treatments for psoriasis do work, so it is important to give encouragement to continue working with the healthcare team to find the right treatment. You should also encourage that treatment plans are followed properly and a treatment and symptom diary is kept. To download a symptom diary which you can use please click here.
- Sometimes it takes a while to see the effects of treatment so encouragement to keep going when symptoms are particularly troublesome is important.
- If symptoms are not improving, encourage them to contact their healthcare team to explore other treatment options.
Encourage participation in social activities and support them in doing so.
If a person with psoriasis loses motivation and interest in things, they may have developed depression. Speak to them and ask if you can offer further support. You should contact a member of their healthcare team if you are worried that they are depressed.