ICU Family Support in Sharjah
Medically reviewed by Dar Al Kamal Team
What is ICU family support?
When your relative is in intensive care, you become part of their care in a different way. You may be the person who knows their history, their wishes and what matters most to them. Family support is the structured communication that connects you with the team: who tells you what, how often, and where you can take your questions and worries.
At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, this communication is led by the intensivist and the nurses caring for your relative. The aim is simple: honest, understandable information, shared at a steady pace, so that you feel informed rather than overwhelmed. The Critical Care and ICU page gives the wider picture of the unit.
Who needs it
Every family with a relative in intensive care is offered this support, whether the stay is short and planned after surgery or long and uncertain. It matters most when:
- your relative is sedated or on a ventilator and relies on you to speak for them (see mechanical ventilation)
- a major treatment decision is approaching
- family members live abroad and follow events by phone
- there are children at home who need to understand why a parent or grandparent is away
- you are finding the days exhausting or frightening
Many families in the UAE are spread across several countries. The team is used to relatives joining conversations from overseas, so tell the nurses early who needs to be included.
What happens
One main family contact. Early on, the team asks you to name one person to receive updates and share them with everyone else. This keeps the message consistent and gives the nurses one reliable number to call if anything changes.
A regular update. The main contact hears from the team regularly, usually after the daily ward round, about how each organ is doing, what changed overnight and what the plan is for the coming day. The bedside nurse is also a good source of day-to-day news.
Family meetings. When an important decision lies ahead, such as a major procedure, a change in the goals of treatment or a long period of organ support, the doctor arranges a sit-down meeting in a quiet room. You can bring the relatives who matter most, ask the same question twice, and take time before responding. The doctors offer their medical advice, and you help them understand what your relative would want.
Interpreters, faith and culture. If you would find a conversation easier in another language, ask the team what help can be arranged. Religious and cultural needs, such as prayer or having a family member present at important moments, are respected; tell the nurses what would bring your relative comfort. Visiting arrangements are explained to you by the unit.
Preparing for it
A few small steps make each conversation more useful:
- Write your questions down before the update. Worry makes it hard to remember what you meant to ask, and harder still to remember the answers. Families who arrive with a written list, and jot down replies, recall far more of what they were told.
- Keep a diary for your relative. A short daily entry about who visited, what the team said and small signs of progress can help your relative later make sense of days they have little memory of. Ask the nurses whether they would like to add a line too.
- Gather practical details: a list of your relative's usual medicines by purpose, recent reports, and contact numbers for family abroad.
- Share their wishes. If your relative has ever spoken about the kind of treatment they would welcome or prefer to avoid, or written an advance wish, tell the doctor.
- Talk to children honestly and simply. Use plain words, such as "Grandpa is very sick and the doctors are helping his body rest," and invite their questions. Drawings or recorded messages can be brought to the bedside; ask the nurses first.
Afterwards
Looking after yourself is part of supporting your relative. Eat regular meals, sleep at home when you can, and share the waiting with others in shifts. Accept help from friends with meals, school runs and phone calls. Strong emotions, including guilt and anger, are common and understandable.
Support continues when your relative moves to a ward or goes home. The diary, the team's explanations and follow-up appointments help the whole family understand what happened in intensive care.
If you have a question or concern at any time, ask to speak with the nurse in charge or the ICU doctor, or call the hospital on 06 599 7777. The team will also contact the main family contact straight away if your relative's condition changes.
Cost and insurance
Conversations with the ICU team and family meetings are part of your relative's intensive care stay. Intensive care itself is covered by most UAE insurance plans, with pre-approval renewed as the stay continues. The insurance office at Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can explain your relative's cover on 06 599 7777.
Related services
Frequently asked questions
How often will the ICU team update our family?
The ICU team gives the main family contact a regular update, usually after the daily ward round, and calls sooner if your relative's condition changes. You can ask the nurse in charge for an extra conversation with the doctor whenever you need one.
Why should we choose one family contact?
One family contact keeps information accurate, because details change as they pass from person to person. It also gives the team one reliable number to call quickly if something changes, and that person can then share news with the rest of the family.
What is a family meeting in intensive care?
A family meeting is a planned sit-down conversation between the ICU doctor, the nurses and close relatives, held when an important decision about treatment is approaching. You hear the medical picture, ask questions, and help the team understand what your relative would want.
What are the risks and limitations of relying on updates from the ICU team?
The main limitation is that critical illness is often uncertain, so the team may be unable to say how long recovery will take or how it will end, and news can change quickly from one day to the next. Updates by phone are also briefer than face-to-face meetings, so ask for a meeting when a big decision is near.
Can we get an interpreter for conversations with the doctors?
Ask the ICU team as early as possible if you would prefer a conversation in another language, and they will explain what help can be arranged. Family members who speak both languages can support you, but for major decisions a clear, shared understanding matters most.
What is an ICU diary and why keep one?
An ICU diary is a simple journal in which family members, and sometimes nurses, write short daily entries while the patient is in intensive care. Many patients have gaps or confusing memories of this time, and reading the diary later can help them understand what happened to them.
What should I tell children when a parent is in intensive care?
Tell children the truth in simple words suited to their age, for example that the person is very sick and the doctors and nurses are working hard to help. Answer their questions honestly, keep daily routines steady, and ask the nurses whether a drawing or voice message can be brought to the bedside.
Can we involve family members who live abroad?
Family members abroad can stay involved through the main family contact, who passes on each update. For important family meetings, tell the team in advance who needs to join so a suitable time can be agreed.
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