Fit for hospital

Visiting someone in hospital can be stressful. Here are some tips to make it easier…

Know why you’re visiting

Whenever you visit someone in hospital, and particularly if they’re there for a long time there are a few common reasons to visit:

• bring them some things that they need
• keep them company or otherwise entertain them
• retrieve the things that need to be taken away
• find out what they need from the next visitor

Hopefully they are being looked after well enough that company and entertainment are the main reasons you’re there but I’ve found it unusual that there isn’t at least one other reason to visit.

Have an idea before you get there of what you need to do.

Remember you’ll forget

There’s no shame in writing down what you need to do when you’re there (hospitals are stressful, emotional places making it easy to forget everything). However works for you, keep a list of the things that you need to take and the things that the patient has asked you to do when you leave (update other people on their condition, ask the next visitor to bring something, wash some clothes etc).

Hopefully having the list means you’re less likely to forget.

You may need to fit around the medics

Of course you’re visiting someone in hospital so there will be medical care. This is the reason they’re there and getting in the way may mean that they need to spend longer in hospital.

Do your best to allow the staff to do the work they need to do, when they need to do it. This means:

• you may need to leave the bay/room while procedures are carried out
• you should fit in with visiting times

That said, it may be possible for the staff to treat another patient while you say goodbye or do thing sin a different order if another patient doesn’t have visitors. If appropriate it’s fine to ask politely if they can do the routine procedures at a different time.

Have a nice time

Hospital can be very boring. You can bring what’s needed in material goods but what your loved one wants more than anything is distraction and entertainment. Think about what they like to talk about and do and do your best to help them escape the hospital bed, mentally, for whatever time you have available.

Hospital visits vary

Especially if your loved one is in hospital for a long time, visits will vary. Some will be happy, some may be sad or frustrating. This is part of being in hospital and being a hostpital visitor. If a visit is all administration or the person you’re visiting was too tired to interact much they will still have appreciated the visit and knowing that you care enough to make the effort.