Eid Is A Celebration For All: Caring For Families Facing Hospitalization During Eid

Eid is a time of celebration where Muslims wear new clothes, indulge in eating a variety of food with loved ones, and be part of a community. It is, however, harder to get into the Eid spirit when you are either facing hospitalization or have a family member that is hospitalized.

There is a chance for some family members to visit their loved ones at the hospital, but visitation restrictions might not make it possible for all loved ones to be together. These restrictions make it harder to celebrate Eid—even for family members remaining at home—because of how the family ends up more split. Patients at the hospital may also have dietary restrictions and may also face requirements only to wear hospital gowns. The act of dressing up for Eid is how a lot get into the Eid spirit that to take this out of the equation is as if one is not taking part in the Eid experience.

Eid is meant to be experienced by all Muslims, whether facing hospitalization or not. However, families facing hospitalization deserve care from the community during this time. Care from the community toward families facing hospitalization during Eid will ultimately support them in getting into the Eid spirit.

Below are 3 potential ways to extend care to families facing hospitalization during Eid:

1. Drop Eid meals at their homes the night before

Eid is the time to celebrate, and a way to celebrate is to cook various food even if more food is not needed. Leftover food from Eid tends to help extend the Eid celebratory spirit because food for Eid lasts for days. It is a way to mark a special occasion and have our favorites. Patients might face dietary restrictions, so it helps to know in advance what they can and cannot eat.

Knowing any food allergies within the family is generally helpful, too. If patients cannot eat, dropping food for the family is still a form of support. Primary carers within the family that go to the hospital daily are usually stretched thin, and many might not have the chance to cook. Dropping off food will ease the minds of carers and also ensure that they are taken care of, too. If the patient happens to be young, actively try to find out if they have siblings at home, and find out their favorite meals. This would make them happy even if they are momentarily upset about having their sibling and their parent as the carer away.

It would help to drop off Eid meals the night before because primary carers within the family might rush to the hospital early morning. Dropping off meals the night before allows primary carers to have a bite before leaving home. It gives them a chance to feel that Eid spirit and celebrate. It is also always a good feeling for the remaining family members at home to wake up to a table with Eid food ready. This can help family members left behind feel the Eid spirit.

It helps to communicate with fellow community members in advance on a system of dropping off food even after Eid. The communication of a system between members of the community ensures that there would not be too much food or even less. We as a community need to develop this habit of dropping food throughout the year for families dealing with hospitalization, especially during Ramadan, because this is how we can extend our support and care.

The chance to taste food from different community members allows one to be part of the Eid experience as a community, even if having to be away at the hospital. Patients also feel reassured once knowing that their loved ones are also looked after. This would ultimately aid their recovery, and through Allah’s permission, help them return home for the next Eid.

2. Ask carers how to help ease daily responsibilities—shift away from mere offers

It is very natural for primary carers to say that they do not need food or help once support is offered. This is because they do not want to be obliged or cause anyone to feel like they are put in difficulty. A lot of the time, primary carers are barely keeping it together and are deserving of caring support. They need to be looked after too, and need to be put at ease.

Patients at the hospital might also feel distressed when knowing that their loved ones do not have support. This ultimately impacts their health. It would, therefore, be helpful to ask carers how to help ease—and support—daily responsibilities.

The act of asking how to ease automatically does not make it an offer statement but rather a means to find solutions. It puts carers in the position of sharing how to ease their daily lives. If a carer does not open up on the first attempt, there is a chance they will on the second attempt. There is a higher chance of this occurring if it is stated that they are deserving of care and support, too, and it is our responsibility as Muslims. The act of asking how to ease daily responsibilities also allows us to understand and respect any boundaries carers might have. It helps understand their needs.

There might be responsibilities on Eid day that might be difficult for carers to fulfill, that knowing this in advance would put them at ease. If they usually have Eid traditions, especially towards children and family members, then see how to fulfill them. If hospitals allow more visitors, then enquire if the patient is comfortable with more visitors, so that carers can momentarily go home and rest. Reassure patients that they have the right to say no to any more visitors. The focus needs to be on how to grant more ease. It is harder to get into the Eid spirit when there are many hardships that finding forms of ease is the solution for families facing hospitalization.

3. Prepare gifts from the community for hospitalized patients

The best way to help patients get into the Eid spirit—especially if they face visiting and dietary restrictions—is to prepare gifts for them from the community. This could be flowers, a card containing messages from different people, or even video recordings to show how they are not
forgotten. This is a chance for patients to not only know, but feel, that it is Eid. It allows them to be part of the Eid experience. It is a way to let them know that they are loved and could also aid their recovery.

The hospital staff—if non-Muslims—would also know that this day is different compared to other days. Letting healthcare staff know that it is Eid, and what it means, would also give them a chance to help the patient celebrate Eid with them. Eid is meant to be experienced as a community. The hospital healthcare staff can be part of our community. The setting of a hospital can still be turned into a place where celebrations occur just by dropping off gifts for patients to receive. It may not be the ideal environment, but it is an environment deserving of continuous care, especially on celebratory days like Eid.

May all families facing hospitalization be given ease, and may all our family members be given the best of health to have many Eids beyond hospital walls. Ameen.

Related:

• Laylatul Qadr For The Busy Caregiver – MuslimMatters.org
• Overcoming Guilt On Eid During Turbulent Times  – MuslimMatters.org