Before bringing anything, please check with the bedside nurse. They can advise what’s most useful and safe at this stage of recovery.
Comfort items like photos, a soft blanket, and toiletries can help your relative feel more at home. Please label everything with the patient’s name.
Entertainment can make a big difference. Books, music, and smartphones are great. Tablets (like an iPad) are useful for reading or watching shows—please bring headphones if you can.
We have a small number of tablets available on T03 and Grafton Way units. You can ask to borrow one.
The team may also invite you to help with an About Me board. This lists what matters most to the patient - favourite things, routines, and important people.
Many people enjoy home-cooked food - it can lift their mood and encourage eating. Before bringing food for your loved one, please check with the bedside nurse. Some patients have food through a soft tube into the stomach, others through a drip into a vein, and some may need soft or puréed food to eat safely. The nurse or doctor will let you know what is safe.
You’re welcome to bring food from home for yourself. For legal reasons, staff cannot heat food you bring. Each unit has a microwave in the visitors’ room for your use. Please follow the safety signs in the room.
Some families like to help with small tasks. Please ask the bedside nurse first. You might help with washing, brushing hair, or simple exercises. A therapist may guide these exercises. Please do not move tubes, lines, or dressings. Ask the nurse if you are unsure. Your voice can help, even if your relative seems asleep. You can read aloud or chat about everyday life.
A gentle touch can also help. You can hold a hand or stroke an arm. Please check with the nurse first if there are tubes, lines, or dressings in place.
It is common for people in critical care to become confused. They may not know where they are or why they are here. Some people may see or hear things that are not there. This is called delirium. It happens when the body is very unwell, and sleep is disrupted.
Delirium often comes and goes. It usually improves as the person gets better. It can be upsetting to see, but it is not your fault or theirs.
How you can help
- Speak softly and calmly.
- Say who you are and remind them where they are.
- Talk about familiar things such as home, hobbies, or family.
- Bring glasses, hearing aids, or dentures if they use them.
- If something seems different or worrying, please tell the bedside nurse.
Your presence and your voice can be very reassuring, even if the person does not seem to respond.
When people are very unwell, they may forget events. Some people have memory gaps about their time in critical care. Others may see or hear things that are not there, and have vivid and disturbing dreams. A bedside diary can help. You can read more about patient diaries on the ICUsteps website. Family and friends can write short notes about each day. Later, the patient can read it to learn what happened. This can reduce confusion or worry.
What to write in the diary
Keep notes short and honest. You could include daily events, such as “you sat in a chair today” or “your infection is improving”. Write who visited and what you talked about. You may like to include the names of staff who helped them. Add simple messages of support. You can add small details from home, like the weather or family news. You may include photos or drawings if you wish. You do not need to write every day. Add an entry when you visit or when there is news.
Rest helps recovery. Visits can tire patients, especially early on. Staff may suggest a short break so your relative can sleep. Please ask the bedside nurse about good times to visit. Please look after yourself too. Eat, sleep, and take regular breaks.
If your relative has a learning disability or is autistic, please tell the ward team when you arrive.
If they have a Hospital Passport, please bring it. A Hospital Passport is a short document that tells staff how to support them. If they do not have one, we can help you make one.
We can make reasonable changes to care (also called reasonable adjustments). Examples include:
- quiet times or a low-stimulus space
- clear, step-by-step information
- a carer staying, where safe
- sensory supports, such as headphones
If you need help now, please ask the nurse in charge.
