Intensive care at home
Children may need intensive care at home for many different reasons. Medical equipment and devices can fulfill the following functions:
- monitor health status
- offer nutrition
- administer oxygen
- help breathe
- administer some medicines
Parents, caregivers, and family members will learn about the medical devices and equipment the child they love depends on.
During the transition from hospital care to home, families will have a support network, which includes the team of health professionals, such as doctors, nurses, therapists, caregivers and medical equipment providers.
In many hospitals, there is a team of care coordinators or social workers who will help coordinate care at home. They will also help arrange for you to receive nursing and respiratory services, medical follow-up, and emotional support.
The work to become comfortable with your child’s home health care begins at the hospital. Learn from the medical staff by watching how they care for your child and how they operate the equipment. The medical team will teach you what you need to know to care for your child at home.
Ask questions about anything you don’t understand. Start practicing in the hospital to feel comfortable when it’s time to be home. Consider talking with families of children who need similar levels of care or medical equipment.
Plan things ahead
Family caregivers must be prepared to give the child the attention he needs. They will learn how each machine works, how to troubleshoot, how to do preventative maintenance, and any backup procedures or where to call if they have a problem.
Here are some things to keep in mind as you prepare for home care:
- You may need to make changes to the home to make it accessible for a walker, wheelchair, or necessary equipment.
- Your child’s room may need to have special equipment, sufficient power outlets, and emergency power supply via battery or generator. (Some insurers reimburse the costs.)
- It may be helpful to have a bathroom or access to water near the child’s room.
- Keep a list of emergency numbers near the phone. Consider placing a phone in the child’s room so that it is possible to call for help without leaving the child.
- Always have medical information ready in case of an emergency, including medical problems, medications, allergies, and special instructions.
- Let utility companies know that you have a child who needs home medical equipment so you can be a priority in the event of a power outage.
- Make a plan for all types of emergencies, such as fires and natural disasters, in which your child and life support team need to be safely secured.
Train the family
Your family members should learn to use and maintain all medical equipment. In addition they must:
- understand the child’s medical condition
- know how to detect problems
- know what to do in an emergency
- learn CPR(cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
- know when to call the doctor
The specific skills needed depend on your child’s condition.
Daniel J. Brown
Daniel J. Brown (Editor-in-Chief) is a recently retired data analyst who gets a kick out of reading and writing the news. He enjoys good music, great food, and sports, with a slant towards Southern college football, basketball and professional baseball.