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By Stacy DeBroff
In the event that your child needs to be treated at an emergency room or requires hospitalization, you will want to have some information about local hospitals and their policies. It is a good idea to do some research before a situation arises so that you can focus on comforting your child and making sure his or her needs are met when the time comes. Take a look at the tips below to familiarize yourself with how to ensure your child gets the best care available.
Become familiar with the emergency rooms in your area before you need to be. Find out where your pediatrician would send you in an emergency, whether that is the closest facility to your home, and what resources they have for young children and infants.
Make sure your top choice hospital will take your health insurance.
Keep your child's medical history readily available so you can grab it on your way out the door. Better yet, keep an updatedcopy in your car's glove compartment.
Bring a toy, some books, and snacks for the wait, as well as a blanket or stuffed animal to help comfort your child.
Bring your cellular phone, a calling card, or change for phone calls.
Bring your medication tracking list of prior medications your child has taken, any adverse reactions to them, and current medications your child takes.
If you can have someone your child trusts come with you or meet you there, it will help you get a break to go to the bathroom,make some calls, check on your child's status, or get a meal without leaving your child alone.
When you go to a teaching hospital, realize that there's a hierarchy among the doctors. You generally speak first with a medical student, then work your way up the chain of command to first year residents, senior resident, and finally attending physician. Don't be dismayed if you have to keep answering the same questions, as redundancy is an inherent part of the culture of a teaching facility. If at any point you feel uncomfortable, you can always ask to for a more experienced opinion by speaking directly with the attending physician.
If your child has a cut on his face or another highly visible spot that would leave a scar, ask for a plastic surgeon to sew up the laceration.
When giving stitches to a toddler, the doctors may use a papoose in order to hold your child still. The papoose is a board with restraining straps that keeps your child from wriggling. While it seems cruel, the papoose actually helps keep your child from touching the sterile area or moving while the stitches go in. It ultimately enables the doctors to work faster and more safely. Nonetheless, be prepared to feel helpless and frustrated as you child wails angrily for you to intervene.
Try to keep your child as secluded as possible. Close blinds and curtains to prevent your child from seeing some of the more dramatic cases that come into the emergency room.
Ask in advance what services the hospital offers for your child and family.
Find out what children's games the hospital has that you can borrow, whether a VCR will be available for your child, and if the hospital has a playroom that your child may access.
Learn what kitchen services are available, whether you can store food you bring from home, and how you can heat it.
Ask what you can do in order to stay with your child all the time, especially before and after surgery or a procedure. Many children's rooms have couches that convert into single beds. Ask for a cot to be brought in otherwise.
Check to see if your insurance will cover the cost of a private room.
Find out about your long-term parking options, as many hospital garages charge high rates.
Introduce yourself to staff members who will be working with your child. Learn their names and responsibilities. You will be your child's best advocate while he's in the hospital, and you can get the best care for him if you maintain a good rapport with the hospital staff.
Don't say a procedure won't hurt if your child will learn soon enough that it does. Make sure your child understands that the medical procedure is meant to help him and is not a punishment.
Repeatedly reassure your child that the doctors are on his side and are doing their best to make him healthy.
Use your toddler's doll to show him what procedure he'll be having, and have him practice it too. Play with a toy doctor's kit or another game that allows your child to mimic what he will be going through.
Let your child know where you will be if you cannot spend every minute by his side.
If your hospitalized child still breastfeeds, make sure the hospital staff understands your situation and that you would like your child to continue to receive your breast milk.
Make your child's room as homey as possible. Bring in posters from his bedroom, a familiar quilt, pajamas, and a stuffed animal or two. Leave a guest book for visitors to sign. Bring in a radio or tape player with his favorite songs. Make decorations with the cards he receives. Have friends bring homemade meals, and feed your child from his favorite dish.
If your child is school age, coordinate with the teacher so your child can keep up with his schoolwork and stay in touch with classmates.