Going Home

Going home may be far from your mind right now, but at some point your child will be discharged from the hospital.

If you are going home with any special equipment, emergency medicines, or expected follow up care, here are some tips:

1. Watch carefully in the hospital and ask to practice any ongoing care that your child will need at home with the nurse before discharge.

2. If your child requires any special instructions for movement because of medical care or devices make sure to practice these before discharge.

3. Know who to call if you need assistance or in an emergency.

4. Make sure to have the emergency numbers (on call doctor line) in the phones of anyone who is a caretaker and in the patient's phone if they are old enough.

5. When administering meds at home, use a dry erase board to keep track of when your child can have their next dose. For example: 

Jayde can have: 

Motrin at:

Lorazapam at:   

This way, everyone is on the same page, and the child can also see when they can ask for something again.       

6. If you a receive rescue medicine, be sure that you know how to administer it in a crisis. Ask Staff or be sure to get ‘how to’ help from the pharmacist.