Gifts ideas for friends and family in hospital, sick friends, or friends recovering from illness and surgery
Gift ideas for your friend while they are in hospital, or at home recovering from surgery or illness. As anyone who has been sick knows, it is boring stuck in bed or on the couch recovering. There are some good present ideas that can help those hours pass pleasantly.
Buy gifts to brighten up the day of friends in hospital
Get Well Gift ideas for friends in hospital, or recovering at home:
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Magazines.
Bring magazines when you visit. Gossip, fashion, pop culture or hobby magazines are a good gift idea to entertain the bedridden friend. magazines with lots of pictures and short articles is a better idea for anyone in hospital that is tired often, or reading is tiring for them. Hobby, gardening and decorating magazines are a good idea for anyone that is interested in finding new projects to get busy on once they have recovered. The patient can use the recovery time to research their new project or home renovation. -
DVD player and discs.
Bring in a portable DVD player and some new and favourite DVDs for your friend. Anyone who has been stuck watching TV for many hours a day would know that the repetition of news, Bold and the Beautiful and Oprah can get very dull very quickly. Bring in a full television series that is your friend's favourite, or one that they have not seen. They can watch one episode, or the entire series in a day. -
Rubiks Cube
They have the time to master a new skill, why not let it be learning how to solve a Rubiks cube? Remember to bring in the instructions so they can hone their new skill. -
Board games and card games (Backgammon, Boggle, UNO, Scrabble).
A good gift idea is to being in new or secondhand board games. These can then be pulled out when visitors come by. Playing a board game, or a few quick hands of UNO, will help take the patient's mind off their illness and the hospital. And it will help pass a few minutes/hours when your visitors come regularly and conversation runs thin. -
Nintendo DS
Entertainment in a tiny little case. A good gift for games lovers. Also buying some Nintendo DS games that make them think will keep their brain active even if their body isn't active. -
Lolly Jar
gift for friends in hospital
Bring in a lolly jar, or a fun lolly dispenser or gumball machine for the hospital room. Making friends with the nurses is easier when the hospital patient can offer the nurses lollies whenever they visit the room. (Hopefully they will all be eager to answer your friend's hospital buzzer when it goes off at 2am). -
Give a new book as a present
Buy your friend a new book, or buy up the entire number of books in a series if your friend is in hospital and recovery for a while. A good list of books to pick from is the top 50 books you can't put down. A few goos series of books to pick from include Harry Potter, Ian Fleming's Bond books, Or pick some of the classics they may have always meant to read but have never gotten around to it, including Jane Austen romantic novels, James Joyce's Ulysses, Homer's Illyad,War and Peace , the Bronte sister's novels including Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, Alexander McCall's The No 1. Ladies Detective Agency , Tom Clancy series, or many more. -
New Pyjamas, funky pjs, novelty slippers and dressing gowns
Buy a nice pair of Peter Alexander pyjamas, a Peter Alexander robe or some Peter Alexander slippers to brighten up your friend's recovery wardrobe. -
New hats for sick friends
When you're sick, or tired, you might not have the energy to do your hair every day for the many visitors coming through. To help your friend avoid a bad hair day give them a hat or two to wear on their slow days. A hat, a bandana, a headscarf, or a head band will quickly solve any BHDs (bad hair day). -
Photo frame, photo holder with photos of family and friends and happy places
Decorate your friend or family member's room with some mementos from home and happier times. The photos also help as a conversation piece with nurses and other patients. -
gifts to keep out the cold
It can get chilly in a hospital room day after day. Ideas to keep your friend warm in hospital:
New blanket
Funky warm socks
Gloves, beanie, scarf
Hoodie or other warm zip up jacket , easy to put on without having to lift it over their head if that is difficult.
Snuggie make them laugh, and the other patients and nurses on the ward, with a blanket with sleeves.
Brighten up the bed with a new blanket or quilt while also helping keep your sick friend warm. You can knit or crochet a blanket yourself, make a quilt, or buy a new blanket. -
Diary/address book/planner
This can help with new doctors appointment dates, friends they meet in hospital and reminders if their memory has been affected. -
UNO or cards for card games or Backgammon
Games that the patient can play with visitors helps pass the time after a few days of hospital visits, when conversation may have dried up. -
Cards and note paper
To help pass the time your friend might want to write all those thank you cards, Christmas cards, or notes they have been meaning to write but haven't. They can use the time practically.
