8 Tips to Help Care for Someone With Ulcerative Colitis

2. Make sure they’re taking their medication.One of the best ways someone can manage their UC is by taking their prescribed medications, says Stephen B. Hanauer, MD, medical director of the Digestive Health Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, in Chicago. If you’re a caregiver to a person with UC — especially the parent of a child with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who may have trouble remembering to take pills or other prescriptions — help them stick to their treatment regimen by reminding them to take their meds.3. Be a good listener.Given that UC can be not only painful but also unpredictable and disruptive, it’s not surprising that stress can be a major part of living with the disease. While stress and anxiety have not been shown to cause UC or Crohn’s disease, rates of depression are higher among people with IBD compared with people with other diseases and the general population, according to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.“While stress does not usually cause active in...