Help me plan for a long hospital stay

[LongHospitalStay]

My husband will be going into hospital on Monday and will likely be in for six months or more.

Please help me decide what’s good to pack.

He will be wearing day clothes for the first while - we’ve been told joggers and t shirts with easy access for monitors and IVs will be good.

He’s not a big reader, but doesn’t want to sit and watch tv all day.

help!!

Would he enjoy something like Murdle? Or maybe the GCHQ puzzle book?

a super long charging cable as the plugs aren’t always in the best location to the bed.
also label everything.

Snacks are good too if peckish between meals or not into the meals that day.

Mini handheld fan tha can also sit on the table. When I had my son it was January so freezing outside but still uncomfortably warm inside the hospital

carrier bags or bin bags so can easier seperate things - also makes it easier for washing to be sent back and forth

No extra suggestions op but thinking of you both and hope his name comes to the top far quicker than expected, you never know when he’ll get a match. I know someone who unfortunately was a donor last year, motorcyclist and I know he saved multiple lives, it’s always good to think of the lives improved

I also like the idea of a cheapish after my DU had all but his teeth stolen during ine Hospital stay.

Have a look at the Timex Easy Readers.

I liked listening to podcasts when I was in hospital. Streaming on prime or Netflix may also appeal. Get comfortable headphones, especially if he’s having any treatment to his head or neck.

Plan for regular food re-stocks. His diet may be restricted, but I really wanted fresh fruit, veg, salads after about 48 hours of slop. Also snacks, nice biscuits, cereal bars, dates, but keep everything nut free.

I wore leggings, a t shirt and cardigan, so whatever the equivalent is for men. I did bring a dressing gown, but I think the only time I wore it was the few days I needed to travel to the toilet and back carrying my 3 bottles draining lymph fluid. I could pop the bottles in the pockets! 😂

A large power bank for re-charging and cables to charge everything including the power bank. I wasn’t close enough to a plug to just plug in to the wall.

And then he needs to think about his mental health. I was in just shy of a week and that was enough! 6 months is an awfully long time to not have a breakdown! Unless he is there for a specific programme that will fill his days 9-5, he needs something to do. Duolingo to learn a language. A course to take online. A new skill to learn. You start to just rot after awhile.

I play scrabble on my kindle as well.

Your DH may need to have some teeth removed to reduce the risk of infection. Several people on the cardiac ward that DH was on, including DH, had this done.

Being in a side ward is incredibly boring, though great for privacy. I was in one for 6 weeks post op and got very low. My concentration was awful so I couldn’t do the knitting I’d planned, couldn’t concentrate to read and was frankly bored. Audio books would work, puzzle books and an iPad or similar. Remember chargers!

clothing wise, it tends to be warm on the ward and freezing on the corridors, so t shirts and joggers and a hoodie for when he is taken for X-rays or tests.

I hope it all goes well for you both

Doesn’t like playing games? There are lots of game apps you can get on tablets.

I’m so sorry. I hope he gets a healthy heart soon.

Could he borrow a games console like a Switch?

Don't forget to have things sorted for you, he will need you to be well yourself. If you are going three times a week then I guess you'll be arriving home late or leaving early? Get some easy healthy meals in the freezer or batch now before he goes in. Have a lot of snacks that you can chuck in your bag / leave in the car. So if he is having a bad day and you need to race to the hospital you've got provisions for you. Keep a small battery pack charged up in your bag. Again handy if plans change and your phone is low. Does the hospital have decent pay machines that accept card or only change. If the latter then start getting bags of coins now.

In regards to his hospital stay I always advocate for a small wash bag. He can keep long chargers in it, a pen, small bottle of hand gel, headphones, small concentrated bottle of squash (you can get tiny ones you squirt in) etc. Means he has one small bag to keep everything in rather than scattered all over the place. If he is then feeling unwell he can ask a member of staff to grab the bag.

I hope his transplant goes well. My husband had a transplanted kidney 20 years ago. You honestly wouldn't know, I hope it gives your husband a sense of more normality to live his life. All the best to you both.

This (£12 on Amazon) was a godsend. Lamicall Adjustable Phone Stand for Desk - Foldable Phone Holder Cradle Dock for iPhone tel:17 16 15 14 17 16 15 14 Pro Max Plus Air, 13 12 Pro Max Mini, 11 Pro, Xs, XR, X, Samsung S23, 4"-8" Mobile Phones - White

It is weighted well and folds very small, so phone and kindle didn’t need to be held.

Adapter so can charge and put wired earphones in at the same time. We were told wireless ones interfere with the monitors. Not sure about that but it saves leaning over and charging stuff all the time.

Sometimes the nhs wifi isn’t strong enough to stream stuff so pre download things if you can.

When DH was in hospital (2 different hospitals) you couldn't stream stuff.

A book of short stories may be better than a novel initially, if concentration is likely to poor. Or something like Readers Digest?

This is better to use in bed than the other phone/ipad holder as it doesn’t require a flat surface and can be easily moved to different heights etc. it’s not the prettiest of things it really useful

Look up Universal Tablet Spider Stand Holder Mount for Bed, Desk, Reading with Flexible Legs, compatible with iPad/Pro/Air/Mini/Galaxy Tab, eReader and Mobile Phones.

Its got flexible legs.

This

PJ tops like this (next) would be ideal - easy to take blood from various points, have IV lines, blood pressure cuff etc and can button down if access for ecg leads needed.

Take his own pillow. Hospital ones are awful. But make sure it’s not in a white pillow case, or it’ll get lost.

What about Netflix, Spotify and Audiobook subscriptions?

With the eye mask, there are some great moulded foam ones on Amazon so you can open your eyes / not have your eyelashes caught.

I think noise-cancelling headphones will be better than earplugs. I would also recommend a power pack in case they object to the extension lead as not being PAT-tested and the bed isn’t near a plug. But you can get that from Amazon within 24 hours if necessary

Even if it's not there's a good chance it'll disappear if he gets moved or if it gets anything on it and needs to be cleaned. Basically don't send anything expensive/irreplaceable in, and label everything you send in as clearly as possible (write his surname and unit on it in Sharpie or similar).

You've got lots of great suggestions for online or onscreen stuff - if he wants a break from screens but can't settle to reading Hobbycraft do jigsaw puzzle holders that you can roll up to put out of the way without ruining the puzzle.

Check and see if the hospital has a League of Friends group, they'll be able to tell you if there are any lounges where he can go for a change of scene or visiting groups/services if he's a sociable sort. Being in a private room is awesome in some ways but it can get a bit isolating after a while, especially when you're not feeling completely wretched and you have enough energy to be around people. He will have to see what kind of security and hygiene requirements there are for his ward though and that might affect how mobile he's able to be.

If he can go for a wander now and then, a decent pair of slippers with waterproof soles, that way if he can access a small garden and we get some sunny weather, he's got the option without having to faff about with shoes. It's doubly important if he'll need to be wearing compression stockings, those things are lethally slippery, they turn the floor into sheet ice.

If he has access to a tablet, and you are a member of (or can join) your local library, many libraries offer access to a service called Press Reader which has unlimited access to hundreds or newspapers and magazines on all kinds of interests. Even if he's not a reader, he may enjoy flicking through a magazine on History, fishing, sports, Top Gear, science, gardening or film.

ICU nurse here, unfortunately not uncommon for people to have long recovery’s and be ICU for a long time.

comfortable clothes with easy access, short sleeve t shirts to make access to lines easy, maybe baggy shorts if he will have a catheter.

fluffy blanket in a dark colour (not blue in case it gets mixed up with hospital colours and ends up in the hospital laundry, it will never be seen again)

headphones.

for a long stay, I would invest in an iPad if you don’t already have one.

puzzle books, crosswords, etc.

maybe come adult colouring books if that’s something he would be into (passes time and good for using fine motor skills)

well fitting slippers with rubber sole and a back on them, (we’re not a fan of sliders as they are a falls risk) Velcro straps as leg swelling likely to be a problem if is a cardiac patient.

kindle- I know you say he’s not a reader but boredom can inspire new hobbies and readings probably the best way to pass the time!

own toiletry’s- yes the hospital will have some but don’t underestimate the importance of nice smellies to your mental health!

Best check if these can be used in hospital first.

Maybe a puzzle book, travel scrabble or a deck of cards. Can play with others or solitaire on his own.