Whether you are due a medical treatment or surgical procedure that will require you to stay over at the hospital for more than one night, or your loved one is, one of the best ways to prepare for a longer stay is to pack properly. Taking time to think about everything you need will make your stay in the hospital more comfortable and will prevent you from forgetting anything you either need or want to bring with you.
Here then, for your information, is a comprehensive guide on packing properly for a longer stay in hospital.
Table of Contents
Food & Drink
You can’t be popping a multi-pack of croissants and some vol-au-vents into your hospital bag, but if there is anything specific that is small, dry, and durable such as a breakfast bar or snack, this may not be a bad idea to bring with you.
If you are likely to experience difficulties chewing or swallowing due to your surgery, an excellent idea would be to invest in a pack of Simply Thick liquid thickeners to mix into your food and slow down the swallowing process.
Daily Items & Accessories
There is nothing worse than arriving at the hospital with your pajamas, sweaters, and t-shirts but discovering you’ve forgotten something vital: your underwear.
Similar items and accessories you use every day, such as your glasses, medication, eye drops, or other essential daily objects, need to come with you to the hospital. It would be prudent to mention at this point, though, that you should only really pack necessary items of such a nature.
Sentimental & Valuable Objects
In an ideal world, any valuable or sentimental pieces of jewelry that you always wear daily would come with you into the hospital.
However, the unfortunate reality is that jewelry, watches, and all manner of other personal possessions routinely get lost in a medical setting. So it may well be much safer to leave your sentimental items safely and securely at home or with a trusted friend or family member.
Entertainment
Now obviously, as wonderful as it would be to haul the entirety of your DVD collection or gaming consoles and associated accessories into the hospital with you, the impracticalities outweigh the gamble of risking it.
Choose lightweight and small items to entertain you during your stay in hospital; books, magazines, and maybe an e-reader or tablet if you have one. Remember that there may not be a strong and reliable internet connection in the hospital, so be sure to download any movies or boxsets onto your smartphone or tablet before you leave.
Other Important Things To Pack
Additional items to pack for a longer stay in a hospital or other medical facility include a family photo, a list of important phone numbers, headphones, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and a hairbrush.
Additionally, many people who stay more than a few nights in the hospital complain that they are too distracted by the lights and the movements of the nurses making their rounds to be able to sleep, so bringing along an eye mask may well allow you to sleep more soundly
