Oftentimes when parents take their children to the hospital for whatever reason(s), the doctor may decide that your child’s condition cannot be effectively managed at home or requires 24-hour monitoring from health care professionals.
While this can be difficult news for many parents as well as their children, there are a number of things that can be done to make the children’s hospital stay less stressful and more comfortable.
Basic Things To Bring To The Hospital For Your Child’s Stay
Here are a list of basic things or supplies that you may need when going to the hospital and/or when your child is being admitted.
Health passport/ Immunisation records
Whenever you are visiting or taking your child to the hospital, you should always take this with you, even if its just to do a regular doctor’s visit. The reason why this is needed is because the passport and/or immunization card will assist in the history taking process during admission, as medical history may or may not impact current admission.
Proper Records as well as current or recent medications
Your healthcare professional(s) will need to know what medical documentation or medication that your child is taking or recently completed. But what if you do not have the medication in hand? In this case, documentation of the name, as well as the dosing instructions or pictures of the containers and the labels are very helpful.
Health or insurance cards
This might be needed to cover hospital or medication expenses.
Items for your child’s comfort
Your child maybe in the hospital for an extended period, or even for a short period of time. You should always take along your child’s favourite age-appropriate toy and/or blanket. These will not only help to reduce the anxiety the child may feel during the period of illness, but they can be effective distractions, especially with needle based or other procedure that may result in some discomfort.
Personal care items
These are some of the personal care items that you should bring with you when taking your child to the hospital:
•Diapers
•Wipes
•Toothbrushes
•Toothpaste
•Tissue
•Bath soap and hand sanitizer
•Skin care lotions or creams
•Washrags and towels
•Hair combs and brushes
•Clothing
•Special dietary foods
•Water.
What Not To Take To The Hospital
Here are few things that you should not take with you to the hospital:
Prohibited foods
Do not take foods that the nurse and doctors asked you specifically not to feed your child. For example, if they allow you to give your child clear liquids only, do not give them grape juice just because it is their favourite. Also, if instructed not give your child food, do not feed them porridge or soup because you don’t think they require chewing.
Baby powder
At no point should you bring powder with you to the hospital as you should at no point use powder while your child’s been admitted. Even if its medicated powder, you should not bring it as it may irritate other patients, especially those with respiratory conditions which are the most common reasons for hospital admission.
Valuables
The hospital is a place where people come and go all the time, and therefore you maylose your valuables.
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