During Your Visit > Preparing to Go Home

During your child's hospital stay, you and your child's medical care team will begin to plan for his or her discharge and develop a continuing care plan. If your child needs special home care equipment or home nursing, your child's nurse will help you arrange it.

Before your child goes home, please be sure to:

• Discuss acceptable activity levels for your child, how to continue care at home, including necessary medications, therapies and follow-up appointments
• Learn how to help your child return to school and make up necessary assignments
• Talk to the school nurse about your child’s unique health care needs, and any necessary steps you need to take to arrange for returning to school
• Speak with your friends and family about your child’s condition and continuing care plan, and any help you may need in implementing it and fulfilling your family, work and other obligations.

Helping Your Child Adjust

Once your child returns home from a hospital stay or surgery, you may notice changes in your child's behavior, such as changes in sleep patterns or new fears or anxieties. Many of these changes are a natural response to what can be a difficult experience for a young child, and are often temporary.

Encourage your child to talk openly about his or her experience in the hospital and reassure your child that you are always there to listen. If changes in behavior last for more than six weeks, please talk to your child's doctor.