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How can you make someone’s hospital stay more pleasant?

Ted Baxter was 41 years old when he suffered a massive stroke. During his long recuperation Ted grew weary of the hospital’s antiseptic surroundings. One day, Ted’s wife Kelly brought some shampoo from home and helped Ted wash his hair.

[Related: Caregiving Tips for Visiting a Friend in the Hospital.]

This might seem like a very small thing. But Ted still remembers how the sound of water running through his hair helped drown out the sounds of monitors beeping. And, he loved the shampoo’s fragrance, because it smelled like home. “The shampoo smelled amazing,” recalls Ted, “and for just those few minutes I could imagine I was somewhere else.”

Do you know someone who is in long-term hospital care? Please consider perking up their day with a special item from home. Perhaps you could bring flowers from their garden or their favorite hand lotion. Give a recuperating person that “touch of home” and they’ll have hope for brighter days.