Ex patients-what they say about this website...
We asked some former patients what they thought of the sister version of this website, criticalcarerecovery.com. Here are some of the things they said...
A website developed together with patients
"When I was invited to help build the website, I wondered if I was just being asked so you could say, "Look, we've involved patients". But I quickly found that our opinions were genuinely valued and indeed needed...to create a website that reflected Intensive Care patients' real needs. Because of that, there's a lot of humanity in this website"
Access to information 24/7
"Nobody is prepared for going into ICU.What patients and families badly need at that stage is information. And this gives different types of information at different stages."
"The great thing about the website is that it's available 24/7, so you can access information at any time."
Support for families
"As a patient, you're not really aware of what's going on but for your family, it can be really traumatic to see you like that. So explaining what all the equipment was for and what it did, I know my wife found it really helpful."
Hearing about other people's stories really helps
"Hearing about other people's stories was really helpful, because it made you realise that you're not alone. That other people have gone through this and come out the other end, and have been able to get on with their lives. It gives you hope, and that's important."
Practical advice for things that really matter
"People think that just because you're home, that's the end of it. But it's not.There's the emotional trauma of being in Intensive Care...and the consequences of that, which can be very stressful.There are financial and employment issues, because you're off work and will be off work for months. The website is very helpful in directing you where to get support."
"It's important to get information about the issues that you'd never have thought of in a month of Sundays.That's where the website comes in...directing you to groups who can help with the psychological and social issues further down the line"
"It's been a comfort to me when I was feeling down and couldn't sleep. I'd go onto the website...and realise that what I was feeling was normal for people who had been through Intensive Care. I'd then look at the information about how to deal with this, or find an organisation that could help."