Chronic Illness on the Family

Role of the Physician Assistant

The writer explains the impact of chronic illness on family dynamics from the viewpoint of both family and patient. The strategic role of the family's clinical Physician Assistant in problem resolution is noted. This is a paper with three sources.

Impact of Chronic Illness on Family Dynamics

Chronic illness impacts a family's dynamics in many profound ways, some obvious, and some not so obvious. In the book The Chronic Illness Experience: Embracing the Imperfect Life, the author reflects, "Getting sick for a lifetime is seldom a single, discrete event. The symptoms are more likely to come on gradually, altering your life in subtle ways that can often be explained away as a temporary aberration" (Register, 1999).

All types of families, and families in various stages, are affected by chronic illness. As a clinician, the Physician Assistant can play a strategic...
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