- Ask before visiting. While you're there stay tuned in to your friend, leave if asked or if you see that your visit is tiring your friend.
- Bring bottled water. It can take time for the staff to bring a pitcher, it's so much easier to have water bottles right there by the bed.
- Tissues and Toilet Paper, especially the extra soft brands, are appreciated
- Bring home cooked food. Either plan to take the dishes away with you or leave the food there with disposable utensils and disposable containers.
- Bring Single serve snacks and sweets
- Teabags, instant coffee packets, and drink mixes - if allowed by the physician - are nice to tuck into care packages.
- Baby Wipes help for those really hot and sticky days and for anyone who's completely bedridden.
- Toiletries like soap, hand lotion, lip balm, and dry shampoo are soothing (recipe and instructions below)
- A change of clothes
- Sponge or bath pouf, hand towel & bath towel. If you bring these items, try to return the next day to replace them with a fresh set as it’s no fun to have wet towels taking up your personal storage space next to your hospital bed.
- Soft throw and pillows
- Comfy and fun slippers
- Sleep mask & earplugs
- Nail clippers
- Distractions like books, magazines, puzzles, a phone topup, adult coloring books + colored pencils
- Flowers or potted plants. Hospitals can be dreary, it's nice to have something to brighten the space
- Financial gifts – money is always the right color and size. In addition to lost income and the medical bills, when a family member is in the hospital there are extra costs that add up like taxi fares and childcare
Pro-Tips
- Only visit if you’re well. You don't want someone who's already ill at risk of getting something else
- Go alone or with only one other person. Numbers can be overwhelming. Rather than everyone visit at once, try spacing the visits over the course of your friend’s stay
- Keep it quiet. Your friend might welcome numbers and noise, but what about the patient in the next bed?
- Avoid sitting on the patient's bed. So many things are out of the patient’s control, let them have some personal space.
Dry Shampoo Recipe for Dark Hair
- 2 tbsp arrowroot powder <- Super absorbent, you can replace this with corn flour aka corn starch if you can’t find arrowroot powder
- 2-3 tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- In a small bowl thoroughly combine the arrowroot powder and cocoa powder. For best results, store in an airtight container.
- When you're ready to shampoo, section hair and apply the dry shampoo to your roots with a makeup brush.
- Let powder sit for 2-3 minutes to absorb oil, then brush hair from roots to tips. This helps to distribute the dry shampoo throughout your hair as well as remove any excess.
- If you’ve missed any spots, repeat the process.