Give InKind’s Care Calendar helps answer the central question of how to give or receive support. In this case, how to set up a support page for yourself, a friend, or family member who has been put on hospital bed rest who may also have older children at home.
Getting Started
Designate a close friend or family member who is able to sit down with both parents to understand specific schedules, food preferences, and any tangible items they may need to make their situation easier. Then break it down piece by piece to create your Give InKind page (see a sample Give InKind Hospital Bed Rest Support Page here).
Care Calendar
For parents facing a bed rest situation where there are older children at home, consider specific actionable items that will give Mom peace of mind so she doesn’t have to worry about home-life. You can add as many items on the Care Calendar as you need to achieve this.
- Food: Meals and groceries for the family are one of the most popular calendar items. Does the family have any dietary restrictions? Do they prefer home-cooked, takeout, and/or frozen meals? Can the parents receive meals at the hospital too?
- Childcare: If there are two or more children with different schedules, you can easily build that into the Care Calendar. Additional obligations like class performances, extracurricular activities, homework, and parent/teacher conferences fit into this category nicely. Also, keep in mind that the partner may want to visit Mom in the hospital alone or may need help bringing everyone to visit her.
- Adult/Senior Care: A number of parents are members of the Sandwich Generation. When planning your calendar, it’s nice to check in with your recipients about whether their parents need help with anything.
- Pet Care: Are there dogs, cats, or guinea pigs to take care of? Consider incorporating daily visits (or more) for feedings and fresh water or transportation to/from doggy daycare or boarding.
- Home Services: Add calendar events for a friend to be there for a scheduled home appointment, to clean the house, or come over and do laundry. Try to keep the house moving just like Mama would.
- Other: “Other" is the ultimate catch-all category. Partners tend to feel out of the loop during a pregnancy without risk factors, so imagine how powerless they could feel here. Include a “Hang out Night" on the Care Calendar where a friend comes over to crack a beer or make a cup of coffee with after the kids are asleep.
Fundraising
In the case of hospital bed rest, there may be expenses related to loss of income, medication, grocery and meal delivery, childcare, flying family members in to help, etc. If there is such a need, simply enable the fundraising button on your Give InKind page and connect your PayPal or GoFundMe account.
Wishlist
The Give InKind Wishlist is another opportunity for others to meaningfully support the family while mom is on hospital bed rest. Browse Give InKind’s curated list for suggested items that could help in their unique situation. When you see an item that could be helpful, use the “+" icon to add to your Wishlist.
You may also add an existing Amazon Wishlist to your Give InKind page.
Communication Preferences
Use Give InKind’s do-not-disturb section to let others know about the parent’s communication preferences. Keep in mind that these preferences can be easily turned on or off as a situation changes.
- Phone Calls: How do the parents like to communicate – phone or text? Is Mom in a private room or shared room where she may not want to talk on the phone in front of others?
- Visitors: Are visitors allowed in the hospital (or does Mom even want them)? If so, use the Special Notes section to add visiting hours and any other details.
- Flowers: People sometimes have complicated feelings about flowers. In this setting, there is no harm, but always best to ask first.
Updates
Add unlimited updates to keep friends and family informed. If the parents do not wish to communicate by phone or text, this is a great place to designate a third-party to act as the family spokesperson.
Clearly expressing what is most helpful and being able to follow through on that support is a gift, both to the giver and to the receiver. Create your Give InKind Support Page here.
If you have any further questions, visit Give InKind’s Help Center or view our helpful articles about bed rest.
Give InKind does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We have an affiliate relationship with many of the advertisers on our site, and may receive a commission from any products purchased from links in this article. See Terms & Conditions.