When a child is unexpectedly admitted to the hospital, it can be an overwhelming and challenging experience for both the patient and their parents. As family members and friends, we all play a crucial role in providing the support and care needed during this difficult time. In this blog post, we will explore meaningful ways to assist and uplift parents and their children throughout their hospital journey. By offering empathy, practical help, and emotional support, we can make a significant difference in the lives of families facing unexpected hospital stays.
How to help and support the hospitalized child/patient:
- Make posters, signs, or photos for the room. Sending positive messages, thoughts, and photos from home can help the child feel more at ease during a hospital stay and provide encouragement during a difficult stay. Please note, some hospitals may not allow tape to secure items to the walls. Poster putty or magnet clips are typically a good alternative.
- Bring soft blankets, pillowcases, stuffed animals, and/or bedding from home. The hospital can feel like a very sterile environment that is unfamiliar and frightening. Bedding, blankets, and stuffed animals from home can help the child feel like their hospital room feels more like their room at home. Comfort items with familiar textures and smells could help the child feel more at ease, relaxed, and promote better sleep.
- Sound machine. Loud noise disturbances such as beeping equipment, conversations outside the room, or overhead announcements can cause severe sleep fragmentation and disruption, which in turn can have negative impacts on physical and mental health (Hume et al., 2012). A sound machine can help drown out some of the noises common in the hospital. For infants, a sound machine with light projections is a bonus.
- A sleep mask. Nurses may need to come into the room frequently throughout the night to check on fluids, medications, take vitals, etc. A sleep mask can help block out the lights in the middle of the night.
- A portable speaker. Scientific evidence suggests that music can have a profound effect on individuals – including helping patients undergoing surgery to experience less pain and heal faster. And, of course, it can be therapeutic (Mirgain, 2019).
- Activities, crafts, games, and DVDs. Most children’s hospitals have playrooms with a wide variety of items to lend out to patients, but the following items are always a hit and can help keep the child entertained. Coloring books, reading books, window clings/reusable stickers, crafts, playing cards, games, and headphones. Check with the parents to see if there are any limitations (i.e. IV or injury that limits mobility and modify accordingly).
- Set up phone calls/FaceTime in evenings to read books to the child.
- Offer to spend time with the child in the hospital so the parent can take a break. Many parents may not want to leave their child’s side, but knowing they have a trusted friend or family member present so they can step out to eat a meal, run home, do laundry, take a nap, shower, care for other children, etc. is very helpful.
How to help and support the parents of a hospitalized child:
- Homemade meals or meal delivery service gift cards. Let’s be honest, hospital food can be mediocre and after a few days, parents might want some other options. If you can’t personally deliver a meal, send some meal delivery gift cards. This is also helpful for the parent who may be at home taking care of the other children.
- Offer to pick up and do their laundry.
- Help set up rides, play dates, and meals for other children. The hospitalization of a child affects the whole family. Siblings who are at home often miss their parents who are at the hospital and parents are caught between wanting to be present for the hospitalized child while still needing to care for their other children and household responsibilities. Offer to set up rides to school and after school activities, offer play dates and babysitting.
- Warm blankets, comfy sweatshirts, slippers, and a sleep mask. Let’s face it, hospitals are cold and sleeping accommodations for parents are far from a 5 star luxury! Items to make the parents a little more comfortable can go a long way.
- Send text messages and words of comfort and support. Even the smallest act can go a long way when a parent is dealing with a difficult situation. Sending texts to let the parents know you are thinking about them and be ok if they don’t respond, it’s not personal, they just have a million things going on.
- Organize a fundraiser. The financial burden of an extended hospitalization can be especially stressful for families. If parents approve, consider organizing a fundraiser to help offset the cost of medical care, meals, etc.
In times of unexpected hospital stays for children, the support and care offered by family and friends can make a world of difference. By implementing the meaningful ways discussed in this blog post, we can create a comforting and nurturing environment for both the child and their parents. Personal touches, such as posters, soft bedding, and comforting items from home, can help transform the hospital room into a more familiar and comforting space. Introducing soothing elements like a sound machine and music can promote better sleep and alleviate anxiety. Engaging activities, crafts, and games can keep the child entertained and distracted during their stay. For parents, providing homemade meals, assisting with household chores, and offering words of comfort through text messages can make their challenging journey more manageable. Through these small acts of kindness and understanding, we can demonstrate unwavering compassion and solidarity, fostering a community of care that brings strength to those navigating an unexpected hospital stay.
Hume, K., Brink, M., & Basner, M. (2012). Effects of environmental noise on sleep. Noise & Health: A Bimonthly Inter-Disciplinary International Journal, 14(61), 297–302. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23257581/
Mirgain, S. (2019, May 22). The Healing Power of Music. UW Health. https://www.uwhealth.org/news/the-healing-power-of-music