I spent 101 days admitted to Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick. More time was spent in bed than out of it on bed rest conservatively healing a pressure injury. I was admitted through emergency and wasn’t very prepared for a long stay. Here are 10 things that helped to make bed rest a little easier.
Hand grabber
I bought a Long Handi Easieracher in the 76 length from Independent Living Specialists (ILS). I named it Sebastian after the crab from The Little Mermaid. It helped to pickup objects out of reach and from the floor.
1 metre long chargers
The power points were above my bed. The long chargers from Apple meant I could independently access, charge and use devices.
iPad
The use of the tv in hospital is purchased and it was expensive. The screen was small and it only had capacity for free to air tv. I was given a code to access free wifi and it was fast enough to use similar to a tv. I had already downloaded apps including Stan, Netflix, 7 Plus and YouTube.
Pillow
I bought a cheap pillow and pillowcase from Muji online. It was a lot more comfortable than the high plastic covered hospital pillows. I did put a hospital pillowcase over the top for ease of washing.
Clothes
Pack a lot of comfortable clothes. I preferred to be in my pyjamas during the night only and wore clothes during the day. I wore clothes for multiple days in a row to keep washing to a minimal. I had a few sets of pjs from Peter Alexander and most of my clothes were from Uniqlo.
Laundry bag & delicates bag
This was great to put in my dirty clothes together in the limited storage of my room. I didn’t have access to a washing machine in hospital. I relied on family to take my clothes to wash. It was easy to hand them my laundry bag of dirty clothes.
Stain remover
I bought a Stain Remover Carry On Applicator from Dirt online. I wet my clothes, applied the stain remover, wet again. It really worked to get rid of the food stains from eating lying down and medical stains.
Drink bottle
I had my drink bottle from Frank Green. I like the straw type that I can drink from lying down without tipping the bottle. It reduced the need for a plastic cup top.
Cutlery
Hospital supplied single use plastic cutlery and straws. I had a glass with my own straws, knives, forks and spoons. I also had a straw cleaner and tea towel. It was more enjoyable to consume food and drinks. It was better for the environment as well.
Bathroom supplies
I had my own shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, razor and shower cap. I enjoyed the smells of products from Lush and Body Shop. I received many comments from nurses too on how nice it smelt. It made a difference when at first I was only showering once a week then twice a week then every second day.
Bring other things to decorate and create a pleasant space. I was gifted and bought plants, flowers, pictures and Christmas decorations that helped to brighten up my bleak hospital room.
Kate Swain 