Ooopanaceyacare at home: there is no panacea, there is a system

An independent guide for family members caring for a relative at home. Not a medical organisation, pharmacy or care service, and not connected with the former website on this domain; it does not replace advice from a doctor. In an emergency, call your local emergency number (in Russia 103 or 112).

Tips & facts

Research overview

Families often look for answers online — late in the evening, when there is no one to ask. There is a lot of useful material, but next to the leaflets sit adverts, retellings and stories passed off as rules. Here is how to work out what you can trust and how to discuss what you find with the doctor.

Advice that helped a neighbour is a story, not a rule. It may turn out to be useful, but whether it suits your relative should be decided by someone who knows their condition.

— Editor's note

Where advice comes from

SourceWhat it offersLimitations
WHO and national health ministry leafletsGeneral, well-tested recommendations for the publicWritten for everyone, not for your relative; check the details with the doctor
What the doctor and nurse tell youDecisions that take the individual's condition into accountAppointment time is limited, so it is best to prepare questions in advance
Forums and family support groupsExperience and support from people in a similar situationOne case doesn't carry over to another person; mistakes happen
Blogs and videosPractical everyday techniques you can seeThe author may have no medical training or may be selling something
Advertising for products and servicesInformation about the productThe aim is to sell; the promises are not independently verified

How to check advice you've found

  1. Find the author

    Who wrote the text, and do they have grounds to talk about health? Anonymous advice carries less weight than signed advice.

  2. See what it refers to

    Reliable material explains where its information comes from. The phrase "scientists have proven" without details proves nothing.

  3. Ask who benefits

    If the end of the article invites you to buy a product or order a service, read it as an advert.

  4. Discuss it with the doctor

    Write the advice down or save the link and show it at the appointment. Ask whether it suits your relative and whether it could do harm.

Red-flag promises

  • "One product will solve every problem" — there is no panacea
  • "What doctors don't want you to know" and calls to stop prescribed treatment
  • A guaranteed result in a short time
  • Advice to do at home what a health professional does
  • Pressure: "order today, tomorrow will be too late"
  • Ask the doctor

    What to ask the doctor and nurse about monitoring at home, the medication schedule and warning signs.

  • Sources

    What the guide is based on, what it leaves out and where its limits are.

  • Daily care

    Hygiene and skin, drinking and food, movement and positioning — the everyday basics of care and their limits.

Sources

  • WHO — materials on healthy ageing
  • Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation — public information leaflets
  • Guidance on caring for people with limited mobility

Information is current as of the date of preparation. Arrangements for home medical care, social services and paperwork differ between countries and can change — check the details with your local health and social services.