How To Have A More Pleasant Long-Term Hospital Stay

Keep Yourself Occupied

When you're in hospital or at another longer-term healthcare facility for more than a few weeks or so, life can soon get extremely boring. Boredom — along with worries about what's going on at home and about your health — can lead to depression and other nasty mental health consequences quite easily. By keeping yourself occupied with activities you enjoy, you do a lot to preserve your sanity.

There's often quite a lot you can do to keep busy, though your actual possibilities clearly depend on your health issues and what's offered at your facility. Almost everyone will enjoy and be able to use one or more of the following:

• Internet-connected devices
• A phone
• Books
• Radio

You'll be able to access websites for information, movies, forums, e-books, games and talk to relatives and friends on Skype or something like that. If you could take just one thing to hospital, it should definitely be an internet-connected device — providing, of course, that the hospital does have a connection. 

People who have free use of their hands can also engage in activities such as crocheting, knitting, playing cards (perhaps with other patients), and any other not-too-messy craft or game that can be performed in a hospital setting. 

In addition, try to get friends, relatives or both to visit you on different days, so you have company every day. This will definitely make the time go a little more quickly, and they can bring you stuff from the outside world — like good food, if the hospital food isn't what you'd like it to be.

Organize Activities And Get To Know Other Patients

Many hospitals and other healthcare facilities organize activities for patients. They can include games, singing, crafts, and movie nights. If your facility isn't currently doing that, you might like to get something going. Healthcare facilities almost always have communal rooms where things like that could take place. You could make your own stay and that of other patients a whole lot more interesting, and the time will seem to go so much faster that way. 

Even if there aren't any activities and you don't want to be the one to try to get any organized, you can probably chat with other patients and get to know some. Even if you have a private room, there are probably opportunities to interact with others.

See Also: WHO Says a Visit to the Hospital is Far Riskier than Flying due to Medical Errors and Infections

Never underestimate the power of laughter. You may not be into cliniclowns, but finding someone to really laugh with will benefit your health, your sanity, and will simply make life an awful lot more pleasant. So go on — be a dare-devil! Be open to contact with people you would not normally even talk to, and see whether you can make each other laugh!