Hello. Here is my list of items to take to the hospital when visiting the sick. I think this might help someone when you need to go visit a sick relative, friend or even strangers who are sick at the hospital and need help.
There are times we want to visit sick relatives on admission at the hospital but not sure of what to carry along with us. Believe me, it’s not to the best to appear at the hospital empty-handed when you go visiting the sick. Unless you are a student or a minor still depending on others.
Anyways, The fact that you even leave your house to go to the hospital and say a “get well soon” prayer to someone is excellent. It shows that you care. However, carrying a little gift along with you will really show that you truly REALLY care for this person.
HOW DO WE FEEL WHEN PEOPLE VISIT US AT THE HOSPITAL WITH GIFTS?
Well, I do not know how other patients feel when they receive visitors at the hospital who bring along some kindness in the form of little little gifts for them.
For me, I feel loved when I am at the hospital and I get visitors who bring even a home-cooked jollof rice or some swallows with soup for me. Any food that is not hospital food makes me happy. When I spot visitors holding a food flask or ordered food from a restaurant that is not hospital food, I mean, I start smiling even before they find my bed.
A card with a short prayer for the sick person can go along way improving their mood and helping them feel better. Sometimes, long after the visitor has left, the patient still opens that card to read and smile.
Flowers are excellent too if the person you are visiting in a Nigerian hospital is well off and comfortable. They have everything they need set out on the hospital table, so, the flowers or card will really make them feel awesome and loved. But if the patient is someone trying to make ends meet and now is sick and on admission at the hospital.
What will really make them feel better may not be a card or flower. A card is okay if it’s accompanied by a small food flask of food or some bottled water or some detergents for washing and so many other items that I am going to list below. You don’t have to shop a truckload of items to take for a hospital visit. One or two items from the list below will do just fine if you can’t afford more.
HOSPITAL VISITORS WITH GIFTS FOR THE SICK VERSUS EMPTY HANDED VISITORS
I have had the opportunity of spending some days and nights at the hospital either with sick kids or me getting admitted at the hospital not only for deliveries but to get treated for one ailment or the other.
People who visit you at the hospital with gifts sometimes get easy access to the patients than visitors who come empty-handed. When you approach the nurse’s station and ask that you want to see Teresa or Johnson, the permission is faster with fewer questions when they see that in your hand is a bag of toiletries, beverages, and detergents. True or false?
Maybe it’s just me but I always feel like the reason I am given quick access to see patients at hospitals is because of the bag/s in my hand.
Sometimes I could hear nurses interrogating visitors with so many questions before letting them in or declining their entrance and when I see them holding just their small purses, in my head, I feel like the nurses just think that these ones have come here to disturb our patients. When you carry goodies, they know that you may be carrying supplies for their patient.
VISITING WITH GIFTS
OVER HERE IN AFRICA, IT IS CONSIDERED A GOOD THING WHEN YOU VISIT PEOPLE CARRYING A GIFT ALONG. NO MATTER HOW SMALL, THE GESTURE IS WHAT MATTERS.
Not only in Africa, even in other parts of the world, visitors aho bring along gifts are seen as very kind people. So visiting a hospital empty handed to just say ‘sorry” to the sick is okay while bringing something along to give to the sick person on that hospital bed is excellent.
How to know what the sick individual really needs and how you can help
For me, if I am visiting a sick relative or sick friend at the hospital, the first visit might not be with much. I don’t really know what she needs or where she needs help. So, what I do is go with just a few provisions that I can afford oh and a few toiletries and detergents.
The reason I go with those is that these items can never be wasted, even if the patient already has toiletries and beverages (Nigerian tea), they’ll get exhausted soon and mine will be used eventually. Bottled water too is something I can carry along on my first hospital visit.
When I get to the hospital, I try to ask the patient if they need anything or what I can do? Sometimes, they tell you that they need somethings like undies, home-cooked food and so on. That prepares my mind for my next visit.
Well, let me cut this post short by listing the items that I take along when visiting the hospital to see a sick loved one.
Here is the list of items to take to the hospital when visiting the sick
- Drinking water like bottled water
- Washing soaps and detergents. In Nigerian hospitals, patients get to manually wash and dry their laundry in the sun. Sometimes relatives do the washing for them. They always need soaps for laundry.
- Dettol can never be wasted. They need it in their bathing water or for other cleaning purposes. Bleach too is good.
- Beverages like milk, sugar, milo, Ovaltine or any cocoa drink you can afford.
- Disposable pants
- Toiletries
- Cooked food
- Some fruits
- Comfortable Nightwear
- Some cash in a small envelope
- A card or some flowers will also go a long way if you can afford them.
- I want to list just these items hoping that during this first visit, you will discuss with the patient to know what to get him or her.
What are the items or things that you take to the hospital when visiting a sick friend or relative?
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