Parties, iPads and goodie bags help spinal injury patients cope with visitor restrictions | from Philipshill National Spinal Injuries rehabilitation ward

Patients with spinal injuries may spend more than a year on the rehabilitation ward, so visiting restrictions have hit them hard. Staff have tried to work around this, ensuring that birthdays, Mother’s Day and even ordinary days are a little more special.

iPads are used for virtual visiting, but staff have also been getting creative, encouraging families to help them create goodie bags for each individual patient. One patient received a teddy bear her daughter had bought her for Mother’s Day, while another got an MP3 player full of her favourite tunes.

There was also a special surprise for a patient who celebrated his 90^th birthday. As well as decorating his room with balloons and banners, staff arranged for his family to join in the celebrations by visiting from outside the window of his room.

Source: https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/news/2020/05/90-year-old-spinal-patient/