Beating boredom in hospital

Family and friends

Beating boredom in hospital

Long days in hospital can feel slow, and a visit, a chat or a shared game can brighten them. This checklist is for family and friends. Good company is usually the best remedy for a long day: in an Australian stroke rehabilitation study, patients with less social contact were more likely to report high boredom.

General information, not personal medical advice. Ask the ward team what suits your person.

Be there

Visit in short, regular bursts, and spread visits across the week so there is always something to look forward to
Can’t make it in person? A phone or video call counts
Bring a friend, grandchild or neighbour if the ward allows; a new face is a nice change
Share the everyday news: the family, the pets, the garden, the footy

Start a conversation

Try a few of these, on cards or just in your head. Follow their lead, skip any that don’t land, and enjoy the quiet moments too.

What is your earliest memory of this time of year?
Tell me about the house you grew up in.
What was your first job, and what did you like about it?
What was the best holiday you ever took?
Which songs take you straight back to being young?
What is a meal you would love to eat right now?
Who made you laugh the most when you were growing up?
If you could plant anything in the garden this season, what would it be?

Do something together

Play cards, or do a puzzle book, a large-print word search or a small jigsaw on the tray table
Bring a colouring book and pencils; small studies suggest colouring can ease anxiety
Share a favourite playlist, the radio or an audiobook (music has been shown to reduce anxiety before surgery)
Look through photos together, and leave a few, plus a clock and calendar, to help them stay oriented
Read aloud: the paper, a favourite book or a letter from a friend

Help them stay connected

Make sure their glasses and hearing aids are labelled with their name and within reach, so they can join in
Ask the ward before bringing a charger or power bank, because some hospitals must test personal electrical items first
Label every device and charger, and keep cables off the floor and away from the path to the bathroom
Set up video calls with family before admission, and ask about the hospital’s free Wi-Fi

Look after the basics

Ask the team which walks or exercises are safe, and bring safe, well-fitting shoes
Encourage daytime light and activity, and keep screens down at night to protect sleep

Let the ward team know if

They seem low, anxious or hopeless, because low mood is strongly linked to boredom in recovery
They are newly confused or drowsy, which can be delirium and needs urgent review

What the research says: boredom is common in rehabilitation (about two in five stroke patients reported high boredom in one Australian study), and low mood and little social contact were linked to it. Creative arts and a more stimulating environment look promising, and programs that combine activities, mobility, sleep and sensory aids such as glasses and hearing aids have cut delirium and falls in older patients.

References

Kenah K, Bernhardt J, Spratt NJ, Oldmeadow C, Janssen H. Depression and a lack of socialization are associated with high levels of boredom during stroke rehabilitation. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 2023.
Kenah K, et al. Boredom in patients with acquired brain injuries during inpatient rehabilitation: a scoping review. Disability and Rehabilitation, 2018.
D'Souza S, et al. Patients’ experiences of a Communication Enhanced Environment model following stroke. Disability and Rehabilitation, 2022.
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Delirium fact sheet.
Hshieh TT, et al. Effectiveness of multicomponent nonpharmacological delirium interventions: a meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015 (summary).
Bradt J, Dileo C, Shim M. Music interventions for preoperative anxiety. Cochrane Review, 2013.
Pehlivan S, Erbay Dallı Ö. Mandala coloring in adult hospitalized patients: a meta-analysis. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 2026.
St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne. Electrical appliances.