6 genuinely welcome things to take a loved one in hospital

When a friend or family member is facing a prolonged stay in hospital, it can be hard to know how to help and what to bring. Grapes? Feels a little... meh. Magazines? We’ll never say no to that one, but what else?

Someone who knows exactly what helps is Tilly Rose. Author of Be Patient, she has spent the past 20 years in and out of hospital as a ‘medical mystery’ patient. Here, Tilly explains the key things you need to know if you’re visiting someone in hospital, including what to take in for them – and what definitely not to.

A fact file

During a hospital stay, the medical and support staff are likely to change regularly with shift patterns, meaning you or your loved one may have to repeat background information to different professionals. Tilly recommends helping a patient to draw up a printed or written list of medications and their medical history, then keeping it by their bed, to hand over to staff. This should save time, energy and ensure nothing important is forgotten.

Clean laundry

Helping make sure your loved one has clean pyjamas and clothes can make a huge difference. ‘Having someone take away your clothes and washing them for you is so valuable. I’ve been very lucky to have friends and family who’ve always done that for me,’ says Tilly.

Favourite pillows and blankets

Tilly adds that she often takes her own pillow and sometimes blankets on to the ward with her. If you can make a pit stop at your patient’s home, gather up their favorites and bring them in, it might be hugely appreciated.

Hand cream

‘You’re washing your hands a lot more in hospital and using strong hand sanitisers, so having something nice and soft afterwards is really helpful for your skin,’ says Tilly. If you’re worried certain ingredients might interfere with your loved one’ s treatment or medication, just check with their medical team in case there’s any to avoid.

Home-cooked meals

Most hospital food isn’t exactly gourmet, so take home-cooked food, snacks, treats or even takeaways in to patients. Just remember that there’ll be very limited or even no kitchen facilities to heat or prepare food, so try to bring in something that’s ready to eat.

Tablet (and charger)

You may have seen televisions and even personal, fold-down screens on hospital wards, but Tilly warns that these often incur a fee, depending on the time of day. However, wifi is usually strong enough to stream and browse on a personal device and any form of entertainment – from movies to card games – can help pass the time. ‘Bring laptops, iPads, your phone, magazines, books – anything like that,’ says Tilly.

Don’t bring... flowers

You might think that a bunch of daffodils or tulips would be a no-brainer to brighten up a hospital bedside but, as Tilly explains, that may no longer be the case. ‘Often staff won’t let me have flowers now, because they say they’re an infection risk. So for years, I’ve never had flowers because generally they’ve had to be removed and taken home. They’re a classic one that people think to bring people who are unwell, but actually they’re probably not the best gift.’

Don't bring... alcohol

Surely a little tipple can’t hurt? Unfortunately, it can. Alcohol can interfere with medications, cause issues for other patients and affect recovery. ‘Bear in mind that while your friend or family member is in there, they’re probably having all sorts of blood and urine tests. So, if you were to think that you might just sneak it in, the hospital will know as it’ll show up in their test results, plus you don’t know for certain the effect it could have. It’s just not worth the risk,’ Tilly warns.