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VISITING CRITICAL CARE IN HOSPITAL

Preparing children to visit family members in Critical Care in Hospital

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FOR PARENTS

When a parent or family member is hospitalised, children often have a hard time understanding the reasons or rules about visiting the hospital.

Family life may be disrupted and children’s schedules often change.

Including children in the hospital experience is helpful as long as they have appropriate information and preparation.

This booklet is created to help you prepare and include your child in the healthcare experiences of your family.

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THE CRITICAL

CARE UNIT

The Critical Care Unit is a special place in hospital for people who need the most care, if they are very sick or hurt.

Special doctors, nurses and other hospital workers will be taking care of your family member.

They will be using many important medical ‘tools’ for helping make people better.

This book will tell you about the things you may see or hear while you are visiting in the hospital.

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THE PATIENT

Your family member, who is called ‘the patient’, may not look the way you remember. Sometimes the medicine or bandages make their face look puffy. They will be lying in a hospital bed and may have many tubes attached to their body. There may be lots of equipment in the room.

There might be many doctors and nurses taking care of your family member. Your special person may not be able to talk to you, but you can talk quietly to them.

You will only be able to stay at the bedside for a short time because your relative needs rest to get better. You can work on this booklet while you are waiting in the visiting room.

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DRAW A PICTURE OF YOUR FAMILY

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HANDWASHINGCOLOUR THE PICTURE

One of the best ways that you can help everyone in the hospital is to remember to wash your hands before you go on to the Critical Care Unit and when you leave. Being careful to be SUPER-CLEAN and not letting germs into the hospital is very important!

EQUIPMENT

The room where your family member is staying will have lots of special equipment and a special bed.

The equipment is to help people to get better.

The machines may make different noises.

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CLEVER EQUIPMENT

Here is some more clever equipment for you to colour in.

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UNIFORMS

Here are some hospital uniforms for you to colour in.

People who work in hospital wear special uniforms. They are very clean so no germs can be spread in the hospital.

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DIFFERENT JOBS

Put the names on the badges.

Many people with many different jobs will be helping to take care of your special person. Write the names of the people you meet.

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THINGS TO DO

Draw a cheerful ‘Get Well’ picture

Get Well SOON

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THINGS TO DO

Write a ‘Get Well’ message

DEAR ______________

Love From _______

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THINGS TO DO

Keep a diary of what is happening in the world, at school and at home

Day What Happened Today?

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MORE THINGS TO DO

Read to your family

member

Bring photos of you and your

family to decorate the

bedside

Sit quietly and hold their hand

Talk quietly to your family

member about your day.

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COLOUR THIS PICTURE

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DRAW A PICTURE OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBER IN THE HOSPITAL BED. DECORATE THE ROOM THE WAY

YOUR FAMILY MEMBER WOULD LIKE IT.

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nsinDRAW A LINE FROM THE LABEL TO

THE CORRECT PICTURE

• WHEEL CHAIR

• X-RAY• MEDICINE• CRUTCHES• BLOOD

PRESSURE CUFF

• STETHOSCOPE

• SYRINGE• AMBULANCE• DRIP STAND• BED

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Y I V E N T I L A T O R O T C V

Q U A J H E S R U N K L E W E D

A P P I O B P O R B L E R V I O

M E X T A R I O M E D N A I R C

B E D N X O L A C O P E Y S A T

U R S E P I L L E S T I S I M O

L O P I S T O A L M O N I T O R

A N D T E R W R X E V H A O N Y

N C E A L Z E R H O P A T R I E

C L A P I T A J O R S U V E N T

E I N G L Y G E W G O R C R T U

D E W L A T I P S O H A U G H S

Find these words in the word search:Patient Visitor Nurse

Bed Doctor Ventilator

Monitor Hospital Ambulance

Stethoscope Pillow Xray

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WRITE OR DRAW ABOUT THE THINGS YOU WILL DO WHEN YOUR FAMILY IS

HOME TOGETHER AGAIN

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COLOUR THE PICTURES

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COLOUR THE PICTURE

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Provided by:

West Yorkshire Adult Critical Care

Operational Delivery Network

JUNE 2014