Relieving the boredom for teenage patients

Long-stay teenagers fall between the cracks in hospitals and it requires imagination and creativity to relieve their boredom, writes Helen O’Callaghan. 

TEENAGERS, who are long-stay hospital patients, have it tough. They’re often in wards with younger patients or lying in units alongside older adults. Yet, they’re not children and they’re not yet adults.

They can become very bored and withdrawn in hospital, says Anne Olney, Cork University Hospital (CUH) play therapist. “Their school-life, extra-curricular activities and relationships with friends have all been interrupted. Even when their friends visit they’re saying ‘ah, I’ve got to get home to do my homework’ — it’s hard on them too.”