The most popular post on the Healing Whole blog is Unique Gifts for Hospital Patients. With Halloween in just a few weeks, I thought it might be fun and helpful to provide some Halloween gift ideas for those who are in the hospital, under going chemotherapy or other treatment or home bound.
Keep in mind the
following:
• People who are
alone a great deal of the day, enjoy the visit as much as anything. Bringing
something that you can do together is an extra bonus, which you can both
enjoy.
• Laughter is
the best medicine, so under do the scary and create fun “tricks and treats”
that bring a smile.
• In selecting
items, and lots of ideas are listed below, consider the age of the person,
special needs such as dietary restrictions, allergies etc. If you have a
question about hospital rules (some units don’t allow flowers) or allergies,
ask in advance.
• We do
best when we help others, so providing items that can be enjoyed by
roommates, hospital personal and
other visitors gives an added boost.
Costumes
aren’t just for the staff:
Hospital staff will often wear something to brighten the mood on Halloween. It
could be a special Halloween themed scrub, tie or a full blown costume. Here
are some gift ideas to let the person in the bed enjoy in the fun:
• Plastic
spiders, bugs or vampire teeth. Make sure they are well cleaned. Shortly before
the doctor or nurse is coming to exam them, slip the spider on the tongue or
put the teeth in the mouth. Imagine the surprise when the doctor instructs the
patient to say “ahhh.”
• Costume
make-up is in ample supply at this time of year at just about every store in
town. Pick some up and have fun creating fake scars or whatever else strikes
the person’s fancy. Be sure check to see if the person has allergies before
applying. Also check for ease of removal, as the hospital’s linen service isn’t
going to appreciate black marks that wont come out.
• Masks:
There are plenty of fun masks to purchase that are easy to wear and will draw a
great response from those that see it.. If the person is crafty and bored,
bring them a variety of items so they can make a mask for themselves and others
in the hospital. Check out your local Dollar Store for packets of cheap half
masks. Pick up a variety of items that they can glue onto the mask, such as
leaves, feathers, beads, fake jewels, plastic spiders (look in the kid section)
etc. Be sure to include glue, scissors, markers, and a variety of interesting
paper.
• Red nose,
funny glasses, fake mustaches, arm tattoo sleeves or other items that can
slipped on and off with ease.
• Temporary
tattoos can be easily applied and come off with soap and water.
Funkin
Carving: Just because
they are in the hospital doesn’t mean they need to miss out on the pumpkin
carving fun. Artificial carvable pumpkins are available at many stores
including places like Jo-Ann Fabrics, A. C. Moore and Michaels. Some of the
Dollar Stores offer small foam pumpkins that you can carve. You can also order
them on-line. Be
sure to include pumpkin carving tools and patterns as part of this gift along
with a battery powered candle for the completed project.
Craft Kits: For the person that likes to work with
beads, a bunch of purple, black, yellow, red and orange beads, along with
memory wire or pin backs, can keep them amused for hours. Plus they have nice
gifts for visitors and hospital staff.
While a trip to
your local Dollar or craft store will offer a variety of craft kits, check out
some of the following sites for ideas that you can make yourself or order:
Books: Having someone read aloud to me when
I’ve been sick, even as an adult, is wonderful. One Halloween, when I was
violently ill while pregnant with my oldest son, my husband read me short stories
of Edgar Alan Poe. It certainly kept my mind off of how sick I felt. Many of
the books listed below have a film versions, so it could be fun to read the
book and then another day watch the film version.
• Ray Bradbury’s
“The Halloween Tree, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The October Country or
The Homecoming
• Bram
Stoker’s Dracula, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
• Anything by
Edgar Alan Poe
• Robert Louis
Stevenson “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”
• Roald
Dahl “The Witches”
• Anne Rice “Interview
with a Vampire
• Most of
Stephen King (Love his writing, but he scares me no end)
• Agatha
Christie “Halloween Party”
Movies: If they have a lap top with them, or
have access to a DVD player, either rent, Netflick or purchase Halloween themed
movies. Bring the popcorn, some boxed movie candy (if they can have it) and
spend a few hours sharing some Halloween fun. While there are lots and lots of
scary movies, some more appropriate for viewing in a hospital (roommates might
not appreciates being scared) than others, below are some suggestions that you
might not immediately think of:
• Arsenic
and Old Lace
• Harry
Potter series (many contain Halloween scenes at Hogwarts)
• The original
horror films of “Frankenstein,” “Dracula,” “The Mummy,” “Wolf Man,”
• The
series of Abbott and Costello
“Meets” films: Frankenstein,; the Killer, Boris Karloff; the Invisible Man; Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; The Mummy;
• It’s The
Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
• Mel Brook’s
“Young Frankenstein”
• “Rocky Horror
Picture Show” and “Little Shop of Horrors” combine music and comedy.
• Gremlins
• Beetlejuice
• Ghostbusters
1 and 2
• Clue
• The
Simpson’s Tree House of Horrors series
Music: Nothing sets the scene like music. The
stores are loaded with all sorts of Halloween music on CD’s and of course you
can download from iTunes. However,
Spooky Soundtrack offers sound effects, music and even scary stories for free. Pandora has four stations including Halloween
Party, Family Halloween, Spooky Symphonies, and Ghostly Groves. So use your
smart phone or lap top to set the mood.
Trick of
Treat: Even though they
may be in the hospital, you can set up a trick or treat bowl or box so that
visitors and staff alike can collect a treat when they stop by. Since there is a lot of candy around,
consider Halloween items, which people can wear. Such items include:
• plastic
spider, skull or pumpkin rings, necklaces, or pendants,
• temporary
tattoos,
• shoelaces
• glow
necklaces and bracelets
• whistles
• plastic
straws
• vampire
teeth
The Dollar Store
is a great place to pick up a package that includes a number of items that come
in multiples. If you have the time, individually wrapping them, will add
another level of fun and enjoyment.
Decorations: Again the Dollar Store is a great place
to purchase inexpensive items to brighten someone’s room. Keep in mind that at
no time should a decorative item block access to the patient. Over head items
that dangle over the patient aren’t going to be appreciated by a staff member,
if a spider is tickling their neck while trying to take a blood pressure Be
sure to place items where the patient looks a lot of the time. A fun wreath on the
door sends a note to staff and visitors alike that this is a patient who has a
sense of fun. Even though the individual might not be feeling that way all the
time, it’s a good conversation starter.
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