How to Make Hospital Stays More Enjoyable

[Christie Patient]

It’s an unfortunate reality that with PF, sometimes we find ourselves being admitted to the hospital. Whether it’s for a planned procedure, treatment, or an unexpected trip for care and monitoring, being in the hospital for an extended period can be exhausting and scary.

What are some things you have done that have made longer stays more comfortable and enjoyable?

Here are some ideas from when my mom was in the ICU for 4 months:

1. Get comfy pajamas with a short-sleeve button-up top. This allows doctors to still have access to lines and electrodes but allows you to feel a bit more like yourself than you would in a hospital gown.
2. Bring your own slippers. Putting bare feet on the hospital floor is a big no-no, but hospital socks can be itchy and gross feeling. Bring slippers with tread so that you can walk around in style.
3. Bring your own blankets and pillows. Nothing is more comforting than your own favorite blanket. Build yourself a cozy mountain to rest in.
4. Bring some low-energy activities to help pass time. Like books, audiobooks, or podcasts. Coloring books or a journal. And a laptop or tablet is a great way to watch movies in bed.
5. Find some multiplayer gaming apps you can play with your loved ones who can’t visit you in the hospital. My mom and I play a scrabble game, but there are lots of choices out there from chess, to euchre, to newer multiplayer games like Among Us.

[Daughter]

Thanks for the tips!  Mom just spent 12 days in Hospital in December followed by 5 more days a month later.  We brought her favorite blanket, but I hadn’t thought about Audio Books or a Coloring book.  Both great ideas.  Will know for next time.

[Author]

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