Up until Saturday, all of Hunter's hospital experiences have been psychiatric so Children's Hospital was like Disney Land for him. In 2006 Child magazine voted Children's Hospital of Michigan as one of the best in the nation. With the exception of the conflicting information from various doctor's I would have to agree with the magazine.
One parent is encouraged to stay with their child and can do so 24/7. There are shower and laundry facilities available and the kids have access to video PlayStation's so Mario 4 was our constant companion. We even had the services of a "sitter" or a "student" -- which was a HUGE benefit for me.
When Hunter transferred from ICU to the regular unit on Monday, a sitter was assigned to us for the rest of the afternoon and a second through the night. At first I felt a little put out, especially when the sitter told me they are assigned to kids who have od'd (in our case it was purely accidental) or have tried to pull their tubes/IV's out. Hunter was a yes to both. I felt like my parenting skills were being called in to question. It didn't take long for me to get over my paranoia and realize what an asset they were.
We had a sitter from 7 AM - 7 PM on Tuesday and 7 PM Tuesday to 7 AM Wednesday, which gave me the opportunity to nap and eventually shower because Hunter and I were up all night. Yesterday we had a sitter sporadically throughout the day so I could nap and shower and today we had a student from 7 AM right up until discharge. The sitter's and student's play games with the kids, get them showered and linen's changed and as an additional benefit to me, it gave me somebody to talk to!
Everything about this hospital was family centered. If there is not a space available to sleep in your child's room (in Hunter's there was) they had an alternative area with recliners and cushioned benches and provided pillows and linens to you.
The hospital kitchen was open from 7 AM to 7:30 PM everyday and the menu had a huge assortment of kid-friendly food. From peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to cheese pizza and chocolate milkshakes. Oh, and I can't forget the grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup and macaroni and cheese. All of Hunter's favorite foods.
One parent is encouraged to stay with their child and can do so 24/7. There are shower and laundry facilities available and the kids have access to video PlayStation's so Mario 4 was our constant companion. We even had the services of a "sitter" or a "student" -- which was a HUGE benefit for me.
When Hunter transferred from ICU to the regular unit on Monday, a sitter was assigned to us for the rest of the afternoon and a second through the night. At first I felt a little put out, especially when the sitter told me they are assigned to kids who have od'd (in our case it was purely accidental) or have tried to pull their tubes/IV's out. Hunter was a yes to both. I felt like my parenting skills were being called in to question. It didn't take long for me to get over my paranoia and realize what an asset they were.
We had a sitter from 7 AM - 7 PM on Tuesday and 7 PM Tuesday to 7 AM Wednesday, which gave me the opportunity to nap and eventually shower because Hunter and I were up all night. Yesterday we had a sitter sporadically throughout the day so I could nap and shower and today we had a student from 7 AM right up until discharge. The sitter's and student's play games with the kids, get them showered and linen's changed and as an additional benefit to me, it gave me somebody to talk to!
Everything about this hospital was family centered. If there is not a space available to sleep in your child's room (in Hunter's there was) they had an alternative area with recliners and cushioned benches and provided pillows and linens to you.
The hospital kitchen was open from 7 AM to 7:30 PM everyday and the menu had a huge assortment of kid-friendly food. From peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to cheese pizza and chocolate milkshakes. Oh, and I can't forget the grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup and macaroni and cheese. All of Hunter's favorite foods.