Coming Home with Care: Setting Up for Success When Transitioning Home
In a three-part series, we’re exploring what can be an exciting but confusing time for parents of children with new medical diagnoses – preparing for discharge from the hospital to receive care from a home care company. But with the right resources, parents can feel confident as they make this monumental transition back to their own space.
In the the past two parts of this series, we discussed helpful steps in determining who will provide your child’s medical care and what to consider when preparing for a hospital discharge. Today we’re wrapping up this series with one more step of the process – transitioning home and creating a space that functions for administering your child’s care while also meeting your family’s needs.
Our clinicians have done countless set ups and training sessions in homes for families, and in the process have learned how to prepare for success in the home. Below, find a roundup of tried and true tips from nurses, respiratory therapists, and parents for creating a successful arrangement – and rest easy knowing that when you come home with PHS, you will receive thorough training sessions and suggestions specific to your child’s needs.
What tools were key in helping your transition home go more smoothly? Share them in the comments!
Put all your important contacts in one visible location
Clinics, hospitals, physicians, emergency contacts, your child’s pharmacy – these are just a few of the contacts you will want to have a phone number, email, or address for if necessary. Think through your child’s needs and who has been involved in their treatment, and include them on the contact list along with their role. Hang one in a central spot of the house (or two) – this way, it will be easily accessible to anybody who may need it.
Organize your equipment and supplies
The supplies needed to provide care for your medically complex child may start to stack up fast. Having an organizational plan for this addition to your home can make sure not only that you’re able to find what you need when you need it, but also help keep accurate inventory so you don’t suddenly find yourself unexpectedly out of a supply.
- 6 steps to efficiently organized medical supplies
- Medical supply organization tips from a PHS family
Read tips from clinicians and families on starting a new service
We’ve collected a lot of the tried and true suggestions for families over the years . Whether you’re coming to PHS for respiratory therapy, infusion therapy, enteral nutrition, or home care nursing, learn a thing or two from others who have been there with these helpful hints.
- 7 tips for a parents whose child just started infusion therapy
- RTs share their care tips
- Tips and tricks for feeding tubes
- Calculating dose, rate and time for your food pump
- What I wish we had known about home care when we began (a parent’s perspective)
Did you know there’s also an entire Tips & How To’s section on the PHS website? Check out over 60 resources, divided by respiratory, infusion, nutrition, and healthy at home, here.
Sign up for online ordering and track supplies for monthly orders
Once you’ve signed up to place orders online, PHS patients supply list can be found on their profile along with order history. As supplies run out throughout the month, you can maintain a running inventory online and place one order at the end of the month. Tracking has never been easier! You can also receive hard copy supply order forms for your child if that’s your preference.
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With these resources in your pocket and 24/7 availability from PHS clinicians to answer any questions or help troubleshoot any issues, transitioning home can be done confidently knowing you have a team of experts supporting you with each step.