Get Well Gift Ideas That Lift Someone Up

Someone you care about is sick, injured or recovering from surgery, and you want to send something better than a balloon. Good get well gifts make the days in bed more comfortable, take a chore off the family or give the person something to smile about. Here are 12 ideas that work in a hospital room or at home. Our top pick is a song made for them, because it lifts the mood without adding clutter to a small bedside table.

Listen to a Songbond song first

This one was made for another family. Yours would carry their name and your stories.

12 get well gift ideas

1. A song to play while they recover ($39.90). Fill it with the jokes you share, the people waiting for them at home and the first thing you will do together when they are better. Songbond turns your stories into an original song, ready within 24 hours. It lives on a phone, which is about all that fits on a hospital tray.
2. An extra-long charging cable. Hospital outlets always seem to be behind the bed. A 10-foot cable costs $10 to $20 and gets used every day.
3. A wedge pillow. It helps them sit up to read, eat or rest more comfortably. Usually $25 to $50.
4. No-rinse shampoo and body wash. For the days when a shower is not possible. Usually $15 to $30 for a set.
5. Rich hand cream and lip balm. Hospital air is dry. Choose unscented. Under $20.
6. Button-front pajamas. Easy to put on over a drip, a sling or a sore shoulder. Usually $30 to $60.
7. Socks with grips on the soles. Warm, and safer on slippery floors. Usually $10 to $20 for a few pairs.
8. An eye mask and earplugs. Wards are bright and noisy at night. Under $20.
9. A stand that holds a tablet over the bed. So they can watch a show without holding it up. Choose one with a clamp that fits a bed rail or a nightstand. Usually $20 to $40.
10. A puzzle book at the right level. Word searches or easy crosswords for the days when concentration is low. Usually $10 to $15.
11. Soup for the first week home. Labeled containers in the freezer, ready to heat. Ask the family about any foods to avoid before you cook. Usually $30 to $50 in groceries.
12. A dog walker or pet sitter. One less worry for someone who cannot manage the stairs yet. Book someone the pet already knows if you can. Usually $100 to $200 for a week.

How to choose a get well gift

Start with where they are and how long it will last. A short stay needs comfort. A long recovery needs help at home and something to look forward to. If you are not sure, ask the person closest to them what the days look like right now.

• If they are in the hospital: the charging cable, the eye mask, the grip socks and the song.
• If they are recovering at home: the soup, the pet sitter and the tablet stand.
• If it will be a long recovery: the puzzle books, a regular visit and small gifts spread across the weeks.

Check the hospital rules first

Many wards do not allow fresh flowers, and some units ban latex balloons, strong scents or outside food. Call the ward or ask the family before you send anything. Keep gifts small, because bedside space is tiny and everything has to be carried out again at discharge. If you visit, keep it short. Twenty minutes and a cup of coffee is often worth more than a two-hour stay. And when you write the card, skip the medical questions. A line about what you are looking forward to doing together says more.

Send a song that lifts them up

Create a song to cheer them on. It is ready within 24 hours, and express delivery gets it to you in about an hour.

Also in the Journal: get well songs and songs for someone with cancer.