Have you ever wondered what to get for a sick relative or friend who’s in the hospital? Did you have trouble finding just the right gift? If the answer is yes, you are not alone. This can be a confusing decision, especially since a lot of items are not allowed inside specific areas of the hospital. There are endless options available to you, regardless of your budget and other available resources such as time.
Gifts for Hospital Patients
Colorful fruit baskets
Hospitals can be dull and dreary. If your loved one is allowed to have fruit, then get them a customized fruit basket with some of their favorite fresh fruits. It will make for a healthy snack and brighten the place up a little, not to mention, they’ll love the gesture.
A gorgeous flower bouquet
Just like fruits, some patients (such as those with respiratory health problems) might not be allowed flowers as they can cause allergies. If, however, you are sure that the hospital will allow you to take in flowers and that they pose no threat to the patient, then this is ideal since you can get them a lovely bouquet. Choose flowers that the patient loves and preferably, those that are fragrant as that will freshen up their whole room.
Snacks to savor or a home cooked meal
Once again, check to see if this is allowed before you actually go ahead with it. You can prepare an authentic home cooked meal for the patient and serve it to them with wonderful garnishes. They will love the change of pace from the usual hospital food. You could also get them their favorite snacks or sweets, along with some healthy juices so that they have something to munch on during their recovery period.
A care package that genuinely shows how much you care
This is one of the best gifts for hospital patients. A care package can be personalized to any degree. You can include items such as lip balms, moisturizers and comfortable clothing such as PJs and non-slip slippers, to show much you have thought about their comfort. You can also add candy bars and get well soon cards in your care package along with any other item you think they might enjoy.
Intriguing puzzles and entertaining games
While hospitalized, your loved ones are likely to get bored easily and could greatly benefit from keeping themselves occupied. You can help them out by getting them a couple of puzzles and games that can turn into hours and hours of fun. This is one of the gifts for hospital patients that you can enjoy together with them. They can even play these after visiting hours are over.
Benefit from the age of technology
If your relative or friend has a TV, DVD player or personal laptop in their hospital room then why not buy them a few of their favorite feel good movies? You can even get them the latest films that they’ve been wanting to watch for some time now. Additionally, if they like gaming, then you can get them some videogames which are sure to keep them entertained for days.
Some heartfelt warm wishes to cheer them up
If you are a little low on cash but still want to do the best you can to cheer up your loved one in the hospital, then a sincerely written get well soon card is your best bet. You can even get their other family members, co-workers or friends to sign the card to let them know how many people are thinking of them and sending them their love and prayers for a speedy recovery.
The best gift is what you can do as opposed to what you can give
You do not necessarily have to spend money to show someone you care and that you are there for them. Gifts for hospital patients can be offering to help them out during this difficult time. You could offer to look after their children, pets or house. You can even offer to run some errands for them and bring them things they might need from the store.
Sometimes, just spending time with them can be enough as well. Everyone appreciates someone who takes out time just to be with them. Engage them in lighthearted conversations and make them laugh so that time flies by quickly and they don’t feel like they’ve been cut off from the world.
- When choosing a gift, always keep a few things in mind. For example, think about how long the patient will be in the hospital, their age, their medical condition and their needs. Get something accordingly, otherwise the gift could end up being useless or even worse, an inconvenience.
- What not to do when visiting There is a certain code of conduct that should be followed when visiting someone in the hospital. Never put your feet up on their bed or sit on their bed as that can lead to the spread of germs. Similarly, never touch any medical equipment (electronic and non-electronic) in their room as that could lead to various problems. If the patient is in pain or needs assistance with things like drips or catheters, always ask a professional to come and don’t try to do it yourself as that could cause them significant discomfort. Also, never use the patient’s bathroom or their toiletries.
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