Helpful Hints for Lending a Hand to a Friend in Hospital ...

One of the best ways to help out a friend in hospital is to look after their pets. It's reassuring for a pet owner to know that their pet is taken care off while they're away from home. Pop in to feed their cat/bird/snake, and reassure their anxious owner that their pets are well looked after.

It doesn't matter where you are, hospital food seems to be the same the world over - bad. Every hospital seems to serve up tasteless food that doesn't tempt a flagging appetite. Unless your friend is on a restricted diet on doctor's orders, bring them in some tasty food that you know they'll enjoy. It will be hugely appreciated!

It's also helpful if you can liase with other friends to ensure that visits are staggered. Some hospitals limit the number of visitors at any one time, and you wouldn't want to go to the hospital only to get turned away. It's also tiring to have too many visitors at once. You can also ask your friend directly when they would most appreciate a visit.

Take your friend lots of things to pass the time. It's incredibly boring lying around in hospital. You could load up their tablet with movies, which will keep them occupied for ages - do take some headphones in so as not to disturb other patients. Also take books if they like reading - although nothing too demanding - and magazines or puzzle books.

Another way to help out your friend is to look after their children. Could you pick them up from school, or look after them while their other parent is visiting the hospital? Being in hospital is a major problem when you have children - they can't just look after themselves!

When your friend comes out of hospital, they will probably need to spend some time recovering. They may not be able to drive and get to the shops. Stock up their fridge and cupboards, so that they have plenty of food, and offer to pick up anything they need when you're heading to the shops yourself, especially heavy items that they can't manage themselves.

Before you leave for the hospital, ask if there's anything that your friend wants you to bring from home or from the shops. They might need things like a toothbrush, shampoo and their phone charger (in my case, it was soap, as I'm allergic to the hospital soap). Little things like that can make their stay much easier and more comfortable.

Being in hospital can be emotionally quite taxing, so anything that you can do to help your friend out will be much appreciated. Visits are only one of the many things that you can do to help out. What would you most want to have if you were in hospital?