We’ve had many readers reach out and ask “what to do” for friends and family who have COVID. Below are 10 things to do to be helpful to those in quarantine or isolation. So many ways to love our friends and family well!
1. Send a Meal or Meals!
Even if the person doesn’t have an appetite, food is helpful for the rest of the family. Send ready-to-eat meals that need no prep work. Of course, chicken soup and bone broth are always good options for anyone who is ill.
Here are some easy food options:
- A Favor or UberEats gift card allows families to choose what they want or arrange for a local restaurant to deliver prepared foods.
- Send ready made lunches and dinners from Whole Foods via Amazon Prime.
- Spoonful of Comfort, Southern Baked Pies (chicken pot pie!) and Cooked are great to send long distance. Mom’s Meals is an option for senior citizens.
- Breakfasts and lunch foods and fresh produce are so helpful!
- Drop off a mini refrigerator for the person who can’t leave their bedroom.
- Steer away from “meal kits” as those require effort.
- Gift card to Uber Eats or Door Dash.
2. Drop Off or Send Paper Products to Help With Meals.
Seems random but so helpful! Paper towels, napkins, paper plates, plastic utensils. Even bottled water and Gatorade is great.
3. Drop Off or Send a Care Package of Drugstore Necessities.
Things like vitamins, gatorade, bottled water, a pulse oximeter, tissue paper, cleaning supplies. Any of the below are helpful:
4. Drop Off Non-Messy Activities for Children.
Click below to shop a few of my favorite ideas! Board games are great, too1
Our Under $15 Gift Guide for Children also has lots of gifts ideas perfect for this situation!
Here’s a fun idea from a DSG readers: wrap up a little activity everyday for a quarantine countdown calendar. Another tip: put everything in a big basket for easy clean up after play!
5. Ask If Children Want to FaceTime to Play Charades or Another Game.
If the parents are sick, engage with children who are well. Classmates may want to Facetime and grandparents can read to grandchildren on FaceTime!
6. Drop Off or Send Activities or Treats for the Adults
Send a great book or email a list of favorite binge shows. Drop off a tea or smoothie (if that sounds good!). Send a cozy gift like cooling pajamas, a candle, blanket or puzzles and magazines to keep them entertained!
See our Under $30 Gift Guide for more gift ideas!
7. Arrange a Laundry Service!
Check with a local dryer cleaner or laundry service to help ease the burden of laundry.
8. Offer to get their children’s school work.
If children are out of school, offer to pick up school work and bring to their house.
9. Be encouraging.
Send uplifting texts. Check in and see if they want to talk on the phone or Facetime. If someone is constantly, in the hospital or just not up for watching t.v., perhaps soothing or uplifting music might help. Just email a link to this post – it has our favorite inspirational channels!
10. Help in small but tangible ways.
Text if you are at Target to see if they need anything. Offer to mow their yard. Do they need help caring for a pet or taking to the groomer?
Other helpful things might include offering to find testing places for family members or other time consuming things they may not have energy for.
Don’t forget we have a post on what to do for someone in the hospital (some things don’t apply because of COVID but still helpful!). But one of the best ways you can help people in the hospital is to relieve the burden on immediate family members at home by doing some of the things above.
If you’ve been on either side of this experience, share what was most helpful below!
Shop The Post
The article on coved was excellent. Very thoughtful, practical and well done. Thanks for awareness that we have other things on our minds and great ways to address our concerns. NT
Thank you!
Thank you for setting up this page and for advising me on what to do. Excellent advice.
You’re so welcome!
Great info!! Could you share the source for the canvas bag/tote in the picture.
It is old from The Container Store and I don’t think they make it anymore. But just linked some similar ones above.
Both my husband and I had it at the same time. We had no appetite and lost taste, so food for us was wasted. Chicken soup or bone broth on the porch was nice, but we barely ate any so some went in the freezer. Most helpful thing were chickFila (or burgers) delivered dinners for the kids with fruit. They could eat it themselves without us getting out of bed. And they were excited for that treat in a week of boredom and screen time. And a friend brought dinner with sliced fruits which was great because we had no energy for that. Please text the family to avoid too much food or delivering food the kids won’t eat. (And the parents are not eating either. Gatorade and water bottles to put bedside were nice. And hunting down all the covid vitamins would be a nice help, too. Also ask if you can pick up groceries for the family. We needed milk and Gatorade and bread. Or anything the kids could eat without our help. Avoid sugar because that isn’t good for fighting the virus or the unsupervised high energy kids. Great post idea!
Thank you so much! So helpful!