6 Ways To Make Your Holiday Merry In A Healthcare Facility

For most, Christmas is a day to spend time with family and enjoy the loving and generous atmosphere of the season. It’s the time of year when most go back to their homes and enjoy good food, stories, and activities with their loved ones’ company. It may be the reality for most, but many people have to spend the holidays differently.

Some people have no choice but to work during the holidays. Others have to spend it in places they don’t want to because of health needs. Unfortunately, many people spend the upcoming holidays in healthcare facilities because of their health. 

Spending the joyous season in a place you don’t want to be in is challenging because it could affect your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Thinking about how others enjoy the holidays with their families can affect you even if you're happy. But the good news is, there are things you can do to make your holiday merry despite spending it there. In this post, let’s look at some things you can do to make your holiday memorable in a healthcare facility.

1 - Surround the place with jolly and lively holiday music.

If you’re working in a temporary healthcare building or a hospital, it would be helpful to surround the place with jolly and lively holiday music. If you’re an employee in a hospital or healthcare facility, there are places where playing music is prohibited. That’s why, before you do so, make sure to inform the management about your pitch.

Some hospitals may allow you to play music at a specific time only, while others may never do. That’s why informing other people about this first is critical. On the other hand, if you are a patient in a healthcare facility, you are free to play music as long as you’re in a private room. But if you’re sharing it with other patients, it’s best to ask permission from the staff before doing so. Remember, most people in the hospital stay to rest and recharge. That’s why you must be considerate about the condition and opinions of other patients.

2 - Decorate the space with Christmas ornaments.

Many hospitals decorate their premises in line with the season. That’s why, most of the time, you’ll feel the season because of their decorations when visiting a healthcare facility during Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and Christmas. However, not all healthcare facilities do so because others prefer not to decorate the space due to management preferences.

If your healthcare facility allows one, take the opportunity to decorate the space with Christmas ornaments. Doing so contributes to many patients’ experience and stay within the premises. Frankly, staying in the hospital is already daunting enough for many people. That’s why decorating the space would be helpful to lessen that vibe and promote positivity, especially for inpatients.

3 - Prepare mini gifts or holiday cards for inpatients.

Since Christmas is the season of giving, it would be nice if you could share something with the inpatients in the facility. Likely, patients staying in the hospital won’t be able to prepare gifts for their loved ones or even receive theirs since they’re in confinement. That’s why it would be very thoughtful if the management could prepare small gifts or holiday cards for their patients.

Those gifts don’t have to be expensive or glamorous. It can be a home-baked cookie or healthy snack, a ‘get well soon’ card, or any item that would put a smile on their faces. 

4 - Dress the part.

I know that dressing up for Christmas is impossible, especially for medical professionals because they wear uniforms. However, you can still dress the part by wearing a holiday face mask instead of the normal one. Aside from that, you can also wear Santa hats, reindeer headbands, or a brooch to attach to your uniform to evoke the holiday vibe.

When patients see a change in the health worker’s daily attire, it will surely make them smile and feel the holiday spirit.

5 - Play holiday movies on the hospital’s television sets.

Not all inpatient rooms have television screens because that would vary depending on the room type. However, there are places in the hospital where patients can watch television and engage with patients. If your healthcare facility has one, you can set a movie night for patients to gather and watch a holiday movie of their choice.

I wouldn’t suggest requiring this because not all patients can engage with others, not because they don’t want to, but because of their health conditions. It would be better to invite everyone but inform them that it’s not mandatory so others won’t feel pressured to attend.

6 - Plan mini-activities for you and your colleagues to enjoy during breaks.

Usually, medical professionals take alternating breaks because they can’t leave their stations to attend to patients’ needs. Instead, they take breaks in groups to ensure a smooth operational flow. If it allows your schedule, you and your colleagues can plan mini-activities that you can do during your breaks.

I wouldn’t recommend doing activities that take too long if your break time is limited. It can be a simple exchange gift plan or playing minute-to-win-it games just to feel the holiday spirit despite being in a healthcare facility during a holiday.

The core of it is to channel the holiday spirit in your mind to let it flow naturally through your actions. 

Indeed, making the holiday merry in a healthcare facility can be challenging and limiting. However, you can do that seamlessly by simply channelling the holiday spirit in your mind. Soon, your thoughts and emotions will flow naturally through your actions and your ‘holiday vibe’ will be contagious.