BloomFresh Hospital & Care Facility Guide

BloomFresh is here to help you efficiently and beautifully deliver your best wishes to recipients staying in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, memory care communities, and other care environments.

The following information will help ensure a smooth delivery experience and make it easier to send something beautiful, thoughtful, and uplifting for any well-wishing occasion.

1. Understanding Hospital Floral & Gift Deliveries

Information That Helps Ensure Successful Hospital Delivery

Patient's Full Name

The patient's full name is extremely important. Many people are surprised to learn that hospitals and care facilities typically identify patients by their exact legal last name.

Be as accurate as possible. Keep in mind that names may be hyphenated, recently changed through marriage, or entered differently in patient records. If the patient was recently married, it may also be helpful to provide a maiden name, since some records and insurance information may still reference it.

Accurate patient information greatly improves the chances of a smooth and successful delivery.

Hospital or Care Facility Name

The hospital or care facility name is equally important. Always try to provide the complete and correct facility name.

This becomes especially important with large healthcare systems, which may operate multiple campuses, specialty centers, outpatient facilities, towers, or buildings under the same organization.

The more specific the information, the easier it is to ensure prompt delivery.

Room Number (If Known)

If you know the patient's room number, please provide it. Room numbers are always helpful.

However, patients are frequently moved throughout a hospital or care facility for testing, procedures, changes in care, or transfers between departments and floors. Because of this, room numbers often change during a patient's stay.

BloomFresh will always verify patient location whenever possible prior to delivery, but accurate room and bed information can certainly help. For example, a designation such as Room 328A indicates Bed A in a multi-patient room.

The more specific the information, the better.

Patient's Cell Phone Number or Family Contact

A patient's cell phone number can be one of the most valuable pieces of delivery information you can provide.

Many patients keep their phones nearby, and direct communication can help quickly resolve questions regarding room changes, transfers, or delivery timing.

If the patient is unable to answer or does not have a cell phone available, please provide the contact information for a spouse, son, daughter, caregiver, coworker, or other close family member who may have current information about the patient's location or condition.

Having a secondary contact can often make the difference between a delayed delivery and a successful one.

2. Hospital Restrictions & Delivery Policies

Hospital Policies Vary

Many hospitals and care facilities have similar delivery policies, while others maintain very specific restrictions based on the patient's condition, department, or level of care required.

Every hospital or care facility establishes its own delivery procedures, and those policies may change at any time.

Centralized Delivery Is Now Standard

In today's healthcare environment, floral and gift deliveries are most commonly delivered to a front desk, concierge desk, volunteer desk, mail room, flower desk, or designated delivery area located in the main lobby or entrance.

This has become standard practice throughout much of the healthcare industry.

Direct Patient Access Is Rare

It is important to understand that delivery personnel are generally no longer permitted to freely walk hallways, enter patient care areas, or interact directly with patients and medical staff.

These policies are designed to improve patient privacy, increase security, reduce unnecessary traffic within hospitals and care facilities, and support infection control procedures.

Hospital Delivery Procedures Differ

Delivery procedures vary. Some hospitals and care facilities maintain a floral delivery log or "flower book" where deliveries are signed in and tracked.

Others simply accept deliveries at the front desk, where staff members, volunteers, or other designated personnel complete the final delivery to the patient.

Sending Flowers to Hospital Employees

The same principles generally apply when sending flowers or gifts to hospital employees such as nurses, physicians, therapists, technicians, and other healthcare professionals. However, employee deliveries often require different information than patient deliveries.

Employee Work Information

If your delivery is intended for a hospital employee, please clearly indicate that the recipient is an employee rather than a patient.

Helpful information may include:

Department or specialty area
Floor number
Hospital wing or building
Nursing station or unit
General work location within the facility
Employee work shift

Many hospital employees, especially nurses and physicians, commonly work 12-hour shifts, often from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

Knowing whether the recipient works a day shift or night shift can be extremely helpful in coordinating a successful delivery.

The more specific the information, the easier it will be to coordinate a successful delivery.

Employee Cell Phone Number

Whenever possible, please provide the employee's cell phone number.

Due to the fast-paced nature of healthcare environments, direct communication is often the quickest and most reliable way to coordinate delivery. Healthcare workers may not always be able to answer a phone call immediately, but text messages are often an effective and preferred method of communication.

A cell phone number can often make the difference between a delayed delivery and a successful one.

The Best Approach

If your gift is intended for a patient, please follow the recommendations outlined in this guide and provide as much accurate information as possible to help ensure a smooth and successful delivery experience.

3. ICU, CCU, NICU & Specialized Care Unit Restrictions

Specialized Care Units Often Have Restrictions

Patients receiving treatment in intensive or specialized care units such as ICU, CCU, NICU, isolation units, transplant units, and other high-acuity departments are often receiving elevated levels of medical care.

Because patient care is the highest priority, these departments frequently restrict or prohibit flowers, plants, balloons, and other gifts.

Timing Matters

If you believe your recipient is currently in a specialized care unit, we generally recommend waiting until the patient has been transferred to a regular room before sending flowers or gifts.

Many hospitals and care facilities simply will not allow floral deliveries into these units. In some cases, flowers may be held at the front desk, placed in a holding area, or left with a nursing station until the patient is transferred.

Unfortunately, patients and family members are not always aware that a delivery has arrived.

When In Doubt, Ask

Hospital policies vary considerably. If you are unsure whether a patient can receive flowers or gifts, please contact BloomFresh. We will gladly help you determine the best timing for your delivery.

4. Maternity & New Baby Deliveries

Maternity Deliveries Are Usually Welcome

Maternity departments are generally one of the most welcoming areas within hospitals and care facilities for flowers, celebratory gifts, and congratulations.

Sending flowers to celebrate the arrival of a new baby remains one of life's great traditions. In addition to flowers, many customers also enjoy sending a small teddy bear, a tasteful Mylar congratulations balloon, or a thoughtful gift basket to celebrate the occasion. As always, hospital and care facility policies vary, so simple and practical gifts are usually the best approach.

Timing Is Important

Although it is exciting to send flowers immediately following a birth, timing is important.

Many mothers experiencing uncomplicated deliveries are commonly discharged within approximately 48 hours. Mothers who undergo Cesarean delivery (C-section) often remain hospitalized slightly longer, frequently 72 hours or more.

Because discharge timing can vary, providing accurate patient information and verifying room status can help ensure successful delivery.

NICU Considerations

If a newborn is admitted to the NICU, hospital restrictions often become much more limited. Flowers, plants, and large gifts are frequently prohibited in neonatal intensive care environments.

In these situations, we generally recommend postponing floral deliveries until the mother and baby have returned to a regular maternity room or returned home.

Small teddy bears or other modest gifts may sometimes be appropriate, depending upon individual hospital policies.

5. Patient Discharge & Transfer Issues

Patient Discharges Happen Quickly

Modern healthcare has changed dramatically. Many surgeries and procedures that once required lengthy hospital stays are now performed on an outpatient basis or involve only short hospital stays.

As a result, patients are often discharged sooner than family and friends expect.

Verify Whenever Possible

Do not assume that a patient will remain in the hospital or care facility for several days.

Whenever possible, we recommend checking with family members, caregivers, or other reliable sources to confirm that the patient is still admitted before placing your order.

Home Delivery Is Often The Best Option

Whenever possible, it is often more advantageous to wait until the patient has returned home before sending flowers or gifts.

Home delivery offers several important advantages. First, it eliminates many of the delivery restrictions, transfer issues, and discharge complications commonly associated with hospitals and care facilities. Second, it greatly expands the types of gifts that can be sent, allowing for larger floral arrangements, beautiful green and blooming plants, gourmet baskets, fresh fruit baskets, teddy bears, and other thoughtful get-well gifts that may not be permitted in a hospital setting.

Perhaps most importantly, home delivery allows the recipient and their caregivers to enjoy the gift in a more relaxed and comfortable environment without the concerns of discharge timing, room changes, or hospital restrictions.

While hospital deliveries can certainly provide immediate encouragement and support, home delivery is often the simplest, most convenient, and most enjoyable option for everyone involved.

BloomFresh Can Help

If you are uncertain about the timing of a delivery, please contact BloomFresh. We are happy to help you determine the best delivery strategy whenever possible.

6. Balloon & Flower Restrictions

Latex Balloon Restrictions

The days of routinely sending large latex balloon bouquets to hospitals and care facilities are largely over.

Many facilities prohibit latex balloons because of allergy and latex sensitivity concerns among patients, visitors, and healthcare staff.

Mylar Balloons

Mylar or foil balloons are often permitted, although restrictions vary by hospital or care facility.

If you wish to include balloons with your floral gift, we generally recommend limiting the order to one or two Mylar balloons attached to a floral arrangement. A simple get-well balloon often adds a cheerful touch without creating unnecessary complications for hospital staff or the recipient.

Large standalone balloon bouquets are often difficult for hospitals and care facilities to manage and may not be permitted.

Less Is Often Better

In most situations, a beautiful floral arrangement accompanied by one or two thoughtfully selected balloons creates an elegant, appropriate, and well-received gift.

8. The BloomFresh Recommendation

Talk To A Real Florist

One of the advantages of working with a real florist is that you're going to speak directly with someone who actually designs flowers and delivers them every day.

You're not going to get a call center agent reading from a script.

We've been helping people navigate hospital and care facility deliveries our entire lives. This is what we do.

We're just folks with an honest and eager desire to take care of our customers and make sending flowers for a get-well occasion, or any similar occasion, easy and carefree.

Our Goal Is Simple

Our goal is simple: help you get something beautiful, uplifting, and meaningful to someone who needs it.

Whether your choice is a bright and cheerful get-well arrangement, an elegant bouquet, a beautiful plant, a gourmet basket, a fresh fruit basket, or a simple teddy bear and balloon, we'll help you select something appropriate and meaningful for the occasion.

We source beautiful flowers from many of the world's finest growing regions, including Holland, Denmark, and South America, allowing us to offer fresh, beautiful flowers throughout much of the year.

And remember, our guarantee is simple too: we want you to be thrilled.

Not a little happy. Not kind of satisfied. We want you to feel like you got a fair shake, a beautiful gift, and that you never need another florist.

If you're not sure what to do, call us. If you have a question, call us. If you're worried about timing, restrictions, or whether something will get there, call us.

That's what real florists are for.