Sending Flowers to the Hospital: Tips for Boise & The Treasure Valley

When we have a friend or family staying in a hospital, we often want to do all we can to remind them that they're in our thoughts and prayers, especially if we're unable to visit them ourselves. When visiting hours end, many people feel lonely or even forgotten about, which is why it's extra important to give them a reminder—ideally as warm and colorful as possible—that we are thinking of them and wish them the very best.

These days it can be a little confusing knowing when and where you can take flowers, but one place we always assume they're welcome is hospitals. But this isn't always the case; when sending flowers and gifts to patients, it's important not only to know the policies of local hospitals but the rules that are true for every hospital. As florists who have delivered hundreds of get-well presents to local hospitals in Boise, Meridian, Nampa, and the rest of the Treasure Valley, we at Meridian Floral & Gifts thought we'd save you a little time and effort and publish a few tips about when and how to send flowers to hospitals in the Boise area, and what the policies of these hospitals are regarding gifts. So without further ado, let's get started with a few tips.

No ICU's or Emergency Rooms

It's never, ever going to be a good idea to send flowers or gifts to patients in emergency rooms or intensive/critical care. Most people are surprised to hear that they can't send flowers to intensive care, but it's for a good reason. The risk of infection or the possibility of an allergic reaction to the flowers or to a material in the gifts is too high to risk jeopordizing a patient's health. Not to mention, food deliveries made to intensive/critical care floors have the added threat of triggering an allergy of another patient on the floor. This is why almost all hospitals restrict what can be brought in or delivered to intensive care units.

For emergency rooms, it's almost guaranteed that your flowers aren't going to make it through the door. Emergency staff simply don't have the time, energy, or incentive to accept flowers and gifts for many of the same reasons as staff in intensive care, and just like the ICU, the emergency room is meant to be a temporary place for only the most life-threatening cases.

Remember Their Allergies

As we said above, it's no good to arrange balloon delivery to hospitals if your recipient is allergic to latex! This applies to flowers, too, as many, many people have a sensitivity to pollen. The good news here is that there are lots of hypoallergenic flower varieties to choose from. By choosing a gift that's kind on allergies, you can send a lively get-well gift without making them sneeze their new screws out.

Choose a Colorful Arrangement

Color is important. Color reminds us of all the good things in life! Unless you know your recipient is big on cool tones like soft pink, white, ivory, and light blue (colors that make frequent appearances in sympathy displays), it's probably better to give them a reminder of the color that waits for them outside the hospital.

Include a Hand-Written Card

There's no denying that sending get-well flowers to someone's hospital room is a personal gesture, and as a long-time florist for all occasions, we stand by the belief that personal occasions require a personal touch. A heartfelt, handwritten card can be difficult if you don't know what to say, but the extra effort is worth it, and if you're really stumped, our florists can help you. Not only that, we can do the handwriting for you to save the trouble of giving us the card. If you're planning on sending get-well flowers to a hospital room, always add on a card that they can keep and read over when they're feeling blue.

Try to Lighten the Load

This can actually mean two things: the first is that, when in doubt, keep it simple, sentimental, and bright. It's better to give something simple that's sure to be enjoyed than send a hassle. A good example is sending a whole basket of food before you know if they're allowed to have it! The second part is that gifts can be an opportunity to make a difference in a difficult situation.

Here's a great example: we once received an order for get-well candy, flowers, and balloons that were being sent to a Boise long-term care facility. Our customer told us that the flowers were for the patients, but that the balloons and the candy were meant for the kids who had to spend so much time in the room, to keep their spirits up and reward them for being there. What a great idea! This person cheered up not only the patient but everyone there, and probably the staff, too.

Policies at Treasure Valley Hospitals

Now that we've walked you through some good guidelines for gift-giving to the sick and hurt, we now offer you this list of the policies of some local Treasure Valley hospitals in 2024. We went ahead and called all of them directly, talking to operators, nurses, and even doctors to create this one-stop reference for you.

St. Alphonsus Group

We talked to the nurse's station on the eigth floor of the St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, and they said as long as flowers and gifts are not sent to rooms on the critical or intensive care floors, they're fine. This applies to the rest of the clinics and hospitals in the St. Alphonsus group, too.

St. Luke's Group & Idaho Elks

When we talked to Saint Luke's, who also operate the Idaho Elks Children's Hospital, they said that as long as the patient has their own room, and "you don't send poison ivy" (weirdly specific), you can send whatever get-well gifts you like.

Treasure Valley Hospital

The folks at Treasure Valley Hospital say that as long as your check for allergies, you're welcome to send anything as a get-well gift.

Boise Veteran's Association Hospital

When we called the Veteran's Association, they told us that anything goes! 

Vibra Medical

Vibra Medical is a psychiatric hospital here in Boise, and they said that unless your giftee is under close supervision or in isolation for their own safety, there isn't anything you can't send to them.

Lifeways Boise

Lifeways has two locations, one in Boise and one in Ontario. When we asked, they told us that they have one rule and one preference: all food has to be pre-approved, and they prefer to get their deliveries on Friday if possible.

Intermountain Hospital

Intermountain Hospital is another psychiatric facility in the Treasure Valley, but unlike some other hospitals, Intermountain does not allow any gifts or flowers to be sent to patients.

Conclusion

At Meridian Floral & Gifts, we want all our customer's to have as much information as possible when ordering flowers for friends and family, especially when it's for an important reason like a hospital stay. By asking all these hospitals directly, we've hopefully saved you a little bit of time finding out!

The best part is, at Meridian Floral & Gifts we have a lot of great flowers for exactly this purpose, and we've delivered get-well gift baskets and flowers to every Boise-area hospital. We're a local, independent Meridian flower shop who specializes in affordable custom arrangements. For regular deliveries, consider one of our flower subscriptions and get flowers sent to your loved one every month or more. We can even offer same-day delivery anywhere in Boise, Meridian, Nampa, and the rest of the Treasure Valley, so if you're in need of a lovely, colorful bouquet, shop online with Meridian Floral!