Dealing with an illness is physically and emotionally draining. It is also often quite expensive as well. If you have a friend struggling with illness, you want to help as much as possible. You may not be able to alleviate their financial struggles by giving them money. There are other ways to help that will relieve some of your friend’s pressure that are affordable for you.
1- Organize a Meal Chain
You can organize a meal chain among other friends and family members to help your sick friend. They may not be well enough to prepare food, and the cost of meals is expensive. Your group can schedule days when each member will drop off a dish or meal. This simple act can do much to relieve your friend’s stress. You can also find apps that will help you organize this effort.
2- Offer Childcare
If your friend has minor children, they will need help transporting them to school and other activities. You can offer to do school drop-offs or pickups, soccer practice runs, etc. Helping with childcare will cost you time, but it will not cost you much money. You can enlist multiple friends and family members to help.
3- Set Up Crowdfunding
If your friend is struggling financially, you can set up a crowdfunding effort to help them pay medical bills and other costs associated with their illness. People are often generous by nature, but some cannot afford to give much. A crowdfunding effort allows everyone to give what they can, and these contributions add up. In some instances, crowdfunding can pay off significant debt and make private health services possible.
4- Accompany Them for Doctor Visits
Your friend may appreciate company when they have a doctor’s appointment. Often, their significant other needs to go to work to keep their paycheck coming in. Even if your friend is functioning well, they need a third party to listen to the doctor so they do not miss any detail. When you are sick, it’s easy to miss important information. This effort will cost you time and perhaps personal time from work, but it can be quite helpful.
5- Make Grocery/Pharmacy Runs
Although delivery services are available for grocery and pharmacy orders, the delivery charges can be expensive. Also, your friend might have to wait some hours to receive their goods You can help by picking up items for your friend whenever you are shopping for yourself. This effort will not cost you money and will be incredibly helpful to your friend. When you are ill, just getting the necessities can seem like too difficult of a task.
6- Arrange Fun Nights
Being sick is draining and often frightening. Your friend would benefit from a happy distraction. Depending on their energy level, you can organize a movie night, game night, or craft night. Friendship is a powerful medicine, and everyone needs to have fun sometimes.
You can help a sick friend even if your financial means are limited. In many cases, your friend needs your time more than your money.
