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4 Important Things to Discuss with Your Child’s Home Care Provider

Pediatric Home Health Care in Monroeville PA

Caring for special needs children who suffer from complex medical issues is a huge responsibility. Regardless of how much parents love their child, the day-to-day care can be quite exhausting, Pediatric-Home-Health-Care-Monroeville-PAoverwhelming and in many cases, frightening. Hiring pediatric home care services for a child can ensure parents receive the respite care they require, while the child still receives the attention and care he or she needs.

However, for many parents, hiring professional care can also be scary, since there is no way to be sure that this is the ‘right’ person for the child or for the rest of the family. One of the best ways to ensure the best person is hired for pediatric home care is for parents to convey their concerns, preferences and expectations up front.

Taking the time to get to know the professional and discussing the needs of the child will help them learn as much as possible about the child, family and home. Five topics parents should be sure to cover with the pediatric home care professional are found below:

Communicate expectations

Regardless if the parent works from home, has a full time job or doesn’t work at all, regular and clear communication with the selected pediatric home care provider is essential. Let the home care provider know when calls are expected, such as when the shift begins, when a question comes up or when the shift is over.

Likes and dislikes of the child

It is also important to let the provider know what the child likes and dislikes since it will help the child remain happy and much more comfortable. Some favorites to relay to the care provider include activities, music, snacks, books, television shows, how they like to be held, if they can be frightened easily and if medicine is difficult to administer.

Parent’s involvement

Regardless of how often the pediatric home care provider is present, he or she does not take the place of the parent. For example, parents need to let the care provider know if they should feed the child, what decisions they can make and what role the siblings play.

Keeping the child’s routine

Most special needs children thrive on routines. The home care provider should be willing to follow these routines. Some areas to ensure they understand include:

  • Nap and awake times
  • Bathing – times, how many, type.
  • Meals – when and where
  • Activities – what do they do each day at what times?
  • Mediation

 

Taking the time to ensure the pediatric home care provider is able to get in a rhythm with the child is essential. This will ensure the child is more comfortable and that the parents have peace of mind their child is being well-cared for while they are away. Taking the time to discuss the things here will ensure everyone knows what is going on and what to expect out of the care situation.

If you or an aging loved one are considering pediatric home health care in Monroeville, PA, please call and talk to the caring staff at Extended Family Care of Pittsburgh at (412) 693-6009. We will answer all of your questions.

 

Source
http://www.extension.org/pages/61687/child-care-for-children-with-special-needs#.VghKaMtViko

http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/patients/child/special-needs/child-car

Stephen Sternbach

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