A Woman’s Role in Keeping Her Partner Healthy

A woman is known to be the eternal caregiver for her home, her family. She is the epitome of motherhood for all at her abode. She looks into details of the health of her family members, the meals served everyday and the hygiene factor at home. A women’s care giving is essential in providing a backbone of support. Women provide the majority of informal care to spouses, parents, parents-in-law, friends and neighbors, and they play many roles while care giving — hands-on health provider, care manager, friend, companion, surrogate decision-maker and advocate as well.

Traditionally through the ages and still today, women take on the role of keeping the family healthy. They coordinate care of their husband, children and parents. It is very common for the wife to set up a doctor’s appointment or identify with a symptom of an illness or even book a table at a restaurant for a family dinner. Women are all rounder’s and can do multiples tasks happily and effectively. They are more patient than men, can multi-task more easily and can pay attention to various aspects of life at the same time. Women are hard working and very dependable too.

Women also tend to know more about health issues than men do and are more active about prevention and treatment. Many women become experienced health care consumers through years of pelvic examinations as well as through taking children to the pediatrician. The monthly period and breast self-examination also help women become attuned to their bodies. Probably most importantly, most women don’t see their bodies as invincible or have trouble admitting heath problems or weaknesses. They are more open to problems, treatments and are more mature in this respect than men.

A woman can do the following to keep her partner healthy

Understand the male psychic and approach. Come to terms with male feelings of fear, embarrassment, and above all, invincibility. Before you can help the man, educate yourself about male health issues.

Share what you learn with your male partner

You can give him the book you just read about male health or give him a hotline number. This is to make him comfortable as some men need to be prodded along to pay attention to their health.

Find out about his next check up

If you don’t urge him for his next check up, he would rather sit home and watch TV. For example, few men know that they should examine themselves each month for testicular cancer, the most common cancer in men under 40.

Go with him to the doctor

Men are not experienced with dealing with doctors. Women, however, have tremendous experience dealing with physicians and can help the man get the most from the visit. So go with him.

Help him write a list of questions for the doctor

The average woman has a lot of questions to ask to the doctor whereas the man would have one or none. If he is shy, you ask the questions on his behalf, may be he will do it himself the next time.

Make his problem your problem

Work on the problem together. For example, impotence is a male problem that can be most effectively dealt with when the man and woman come in together. Many health challenges are best handled by the couple together.

Keep a health diary

You can help him start and maintain his health diary. We change doctors frequently. Since the only constant is the patient, a health file is important.

Be his personal nurse if required

If he develops a serious, long-term illness, the women may become the primary care giver. She needs to learn how she can help him, and take care of herself during this stressful time.

Motivate him

You must motivate him to exercise and follow a healthy diet.

Encourage him to share his feelings

Men often keep things to themselves. Encourage him to open up to you so that you know what’s going through his mind. Stress and mental pressure can cause problems so ensure he keeps no secret from you.