| Hospital visits can be unsettling for
all{{U}} (51) {{/U}}and visitors are often unsure of how to behave at
the bedside of sick friend or{{U}} (52) {{/U}}. This may explain why so many people shy away from a hospital visit--not for fear of infection{{U}} (53) {{/U}}rather of saying the wrong thing. By following a few simple guidelines though, embarrassment can easily be avoided. "A visit is important for a sick person because it allows them to{{U}} (54) {{/U}}social contact," says Karl Koehle, professor at the Institute for Psychosomatics and Clinical Psychology at Cologne University. Visiting{{U}} (55) {{/U}}, he says, can actually strengthen interpersonal relationships. "Unfortunately, many people only think of this aspect during the first few weeks." Then again, not{{U}} (56) {{/U}}patient may want to receive visitors. So it's always advisable to arrange a visit{{U}} (57) {{/U}}with the sick person or a close friend or relative. "That applies particularly to visits to a home, even more than in hospital," says Inge Wolff, head of the international Working Group on Etiquette in Bielefeld. But moderation is{{U}} (58) {{/U}}. There are frequent cases of{{U}} (59) {{/U}}ill people becoming worn{{U}} (60) {{/U}}by an endless streams of visitors. "That's when the doctors might call a halt to it," says Koehle from experience. "And the other patients in the ward need to be taken into{{U}} (61) {{/U}}, too," says etiquette expert Inge Wolff. They can often feel pestered by a neighbour's frequent visits. Mobile phones should always be turned off and kept out of{{U}} (62) {{/U}}during a visit. Otherwise, the sick person could get the impression that the visitor really has no time and would like to be off as soon as an opportune moment{{U}} (63) {{/U}}, says Wolff.{{U}} (64) {{/U}}hospitals forbid the use of cellphones in the vicinity of hospital equipment. Visitors should take a small gift such as a newspaper or magazine,{{U}} (65) {{/U}}a book. Sweets are tricky, says Inge Wolff, because the patient maybe under instructions to keep to a special diet. Also, the present shouldn't be too large or "over the top"-- such as a huge basket of fruit. |