Going to the hospital can be a nerve-wracking ordeal. It can feel like your dignity and control are being taken away, even when the hospital stay is necessary to restore your health. When you add the stigma of mental health struggles on top of it, a trip to the hospital for treatment can be extremely stressful. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, “In any given year, 1 in 5 people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness.” That is why Random Acts staff volunteer Tracy Jackson set out to make mental health hospital stays a bit easier for patients and those who care for them.
“Patients who have been newly admitted to hospital while experiencing a mental health crisis often arrive to hospital without basic personal care items. The hospital supplies some, but not all necessities, and staff often supplement the supplies by funding it personally,” Tracy explains. In an effort to take some pressure off hospital staff and provide much-needed essentials for patients, Tracy wanted to purchase items like toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, and shaving cream.
Asking the Experts
Before she started shopping, Tracy was able to gain valuable information from the nursing staff about which products would be the most useful for their patients. “They needed bulk amounts that can be dispensed right before showers, and in the case of nail clippers, collected and cleaned right after the shower. I also hadn’t thought about detangler. I was told that the nurses often help patients who have mats in their hair. Children’s detangling sprays are what they use to remove them to avoid cutting hair.”
Thanks to our generous donors, Tracy was able to purchase bulk shampoo and conditioner, a set of nail clippers, toothbrushes, hair ties, shaving cream, and detangler spray. Because of privacy concerns, Tracy was not able to deliver these items directly to patients, so she gave them to staff members for distribution. When asked what drew her to this particular act of kindness, Tracy simply said, “Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, even when they are unable to do it themselves.”
Reach Out!
If you are struggling with mental illness, be kind to yourself and reach out! Use findahelpline.com to speak with a local helpline that can connect you with the mental health resources you need.
If you were inspired by Tracy’s act of kindness, reach out to us! You can apply for funding to carry out an act of kindness. Not sure where to start? A Regional Representative in your area can help guide you through the process.
