by When someone I know is in the hospital, I typically feel helpless, but want to be able to support them. It’s a pretty universal feeling. Now after spending nearly a year inpatient and having dozens of stays after that as well, our friends often ask us for hospital gift ideas when they know someone else who has landed in the hospital.
We found that a lot of people tend to say something along the lines of: “let me know what you need”. Most of the time, those offers go un-taken. Some people are really amazing at speaking up for their needs, but many of us aren’t. We may question if you really meant it. We may not want to trouble you with our problems. Or in many cases it’s not even intentional, we may simply not know what to ask for, aside from prayers and love.
I learned about “decision fatigue” recently, and it essentially summed up how I felt completely. I was so busy making decisions about medical care and finances and every other little thing going on around us that I didn’t have the energy to think of anything additional that might be helpful for us.
So below is a list, broken down the best I can, of some of the most amazing hospital gifts that we (or friends of ours) have gifted or received from others.
Care Package / Hospital Gift Ideas
Gifts are a really personal way to provide comfort to the person or family who is in the hospital. Some things make more sense for extended stays vs shorter stays, but some of the items we received that were incredibly helpful or thoughtful are on the list below. If you’re making a care package, I would suggest hitting items from across different categories, as everyone is different in terms of what they find helpful.
Gifts of Comfort / Convenience
Hospitals are not comfortable places. But there are some things that can make a big difference. Some ideas for gifts to make the hospital stay more comfortable are:
- Extra Long Charging Cords or Power Banks for Phones: Hospital outlets are not always placed conveniently for phone usage. Ten foot long charging cables made it possible for me to actually use my phone while I sat in the chair. There are even cords that can support different phones, so you don’t have to know what type of device they have. Power banks also come in handy! I prefer the larger ones that can charge my phone fully, but there are cheaper smaller alternatives that are great too.
- Notebooks / Pens: There is almost always something that needs to be written down in the hospital. Notes from rounds, reminders on who to call back. The name of the nurse who was actually able to get an IV in my kid with ease. Notebooks are great for that. I especially like notebooks with folders to hold any other pieces of important paper that you might get. My go-to is a Five Star Flex Hybrid Notebook, or a smaller simple notebooks that fit into a purse.
- Hand Sanitizer / Anti Bacterial Soap: Yes, the hospital likely has some. But when you live inpatient for months at a time, that harsh soap and straight up alcoholic hand sanitizer will dry out your hands. Plus? It’s nice to have a smaller bottle of the sanitizer bedside, so you can subtly (or not so subtly) remind people to use it. Look for a hand sanitizer that has some moisturizing properties, but be wary of ones that smell good as they’re often not as effective. Personally I like Advanced Germ-x with Aloe better than any of the others.
- Lotion/Chapstick: See above. Give me ALL the lotion. Both for me, and baby lotion for my kid. This O’Keeffe’s lotion is the best lotion I have found for hospital hands. For Chapstick, Burts Bees Classic Chapstick is my go-to. Also, if you want to go above and beyond, an overnight moisturizing mask is an amazing thing to have in the hospital. Plus, it’s an easy way to be able to do a face mask and not worry about being seen with a green face. I love smaller travel size ones, like these.
- Face / Body Wipes or Travel Toiletries: If you’re living in the hospital, you’re going to need to wash your face and bathe. I’ve been snagging these for gift bags, because the “I’ve got 99 problems but being fresh aint one” message resonates, and we often end up in rooms without showers or simply don’t have the time to shower before rounds in the morning. Travel size shampoo, conditioner and body wash are also great, especially if they’re hydrating and in stress relieving scents.
- Towel: You might think this one is crazy, but when you’re living in the hospital and taking showers there, you quickly learn that the tiny, thin, scratchy pieces of fabric that they try to pass off as towels are awful. Showers are often your only moment of solitude and rest. Ending it with a bad towel isn’t worth it. I keep a big fluffy blanket sized towel in my hospital bag.
- Food / Water Bottle / Crystal Light Packets / Liquid Flavorings: There’s never enough food. And there’s definitely never enough water. If you get a bottle, pick something with a lid that covers and closes. That way they don’t have to worry about germs that might be floating around.
- Pillow/Blanket/Eye Mask/Sound Machine: Sleeping in the hospital stinks. The blankets are scratchy and never warm enough. The pillows are flat. And no matter how hard you try, that room will never be dark or quiet enough to sleep.
Gifts of Fun / Activities
Hospital life isn’t really inherently fun. But there are things you can do to make it more bearable. Some of these hospital gift ideas will help pass the time, or even just improve the environment to make it a little more cheery.
- Coloring Books / Coloring Supplies or Puzzle Books: This is definitely a personal thing. I prefer the coloring books, while my husband would do sudoku puzzles all day long. My favorite are the books that have positive motivational quotes, but there are also sweary ones and simple mandala ones too. Also — regular old kid coloring books are also great. Especially if there are kids in the family.
- Card Games or Small Board Games: This isn’t just for kids. It’s hard to find ways to unwind and connect with others while you’re in the hospital for an extended time. Just be warned that if you challenge me to a game of Uno, I will still be fiercely competitive.
- Books / A cute book to have nurses and doctors sign: This is especially cool if the patient is a child. Pick up a children’s book that related to the kid’s diagnosis, like this Zip Line book for kids who have heart surgery. Bonus points if you make a sign to keep with the book to ask the doctors and nurses to sign their names or leave a note of encouragement inside.
- Craft Activities: Does the family have children that will visit? Activity kits are great. Is the mom into DIY crafts? Wander around Michael’s or Hobby Lobby to find something for them. Kits to do baby handprints and footprints are great for parents of littles. I spent hours in AJ’s room tying ribbon together to make a wreath, mobile, and banners. Having something to work on definitely helped.
- Window Markers/Decorations: Most hospitals allow you to decorate the windows, but you may want to check their policies first. We definitely have decorated our window – especially on game day at the University of Iowa where they wave to the kids in the hospital. Fairy light strings and posters are also great decorations for children’s rooms.
Gifts of Food
It is ridiculously hard for some people to remember to eat when they’re at the hospital. And I am one of those people. Then when I did eat, it was often garbage. I believe that hospitals serve chicken strips and fried cheese to ensure they stay in business.
- Bring in Food: Occasionally someone would bring food to the hospital, and I’d feel a million times better. My mom was notorious for bringing in trays of fruit and cheese, and another friend often brought us sandwiches. On procedure days, Help-A-Heart would send bring us lunch from Jimmy Johns. It doesn’t have to be healthy though, I devoured the cheesecake and rootbeer floats that were brought in too.
- Send a Hospital Gift Card: Many hospitals also have gift cards that can be purchased for use in their cafeteria. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has $5 meal vouchers for guests. We learned about these far too late in the game. The vouchers are used for room service, and provide a full meal. They can even be purchased online.
- Gift Cards for Restaurants or Delivery Services: Gift cards for restaurants that are close to the hospital, or places that deliver are also great. (*ahem* Starbucks *cough*) If it’s a restaurant that delivers, make sure to include a copy of the menu with it and the phone number or website to use to make it easier to order. Grub-Hub, Door Dash and Uber-Eats are also great ideas for gift cards. Check to make sure there are restaurants that deliver to the hospital as well.
- Check in and Send Food: One of my favorites things is when a friend of mine would text and ask “Have you eaten yet today?” and when I would say “Not really”, she didn’t give me a choice, but simply got online and ordered a meal for me through Grub Hub. We were hundreds of miles apart, but the gesture meant a lot. It’s less about the things being received, and more about the thought and care involved.
Don’t forget the power of your presence.
The important thing about a hospital gift is that it shows that you were thinking of the people you’re giving it to. Also, never overlook the power of your presence. Although I absolutely was thankful for the gifts we did receive, the best gifts were often the times spent in the hospital room with friends. There were moments that I’m positive people thought we were crazy as laughter poured out of our room on the PICU floor. Hanging out, watching shows, telling stories, reminiscing, simply being there as a friend is one of the most amazing gifts you can give to anyone, especially a family in the hospital.
This is by no means a fully comprehensive list of hospital gift ideas. If you know that their kid loves Peppa Pig, get some character toys, if you know the adult is really into calligraphy – snag a short tutorial book or a new pen set.
What other ideas do you have for gifts?
