|
Aside from separate accreditation and specially trained staff, The
Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida provides unique services
that make it a true children's hospital, rather than simply a
hospital with pediatric services. The needs of children and their
families are our sole focus.
A key component of our pediatric care is our Child Life Program,
which is designed to help children understand and cope with their
medical treatment. The goal is to make a child’s
treatment experience as positive and stress-free as possible.
Supporting Healing by Reducing Stress
Our Child Life specialists work with children, families, medical
staff and the entire healthcare team to participate in the treatment
of young patients. Our goal is to minimize the stress of a hospital
experience through the following services:
- Pre-admission and pre-surgical tours
- Age-appropriate activities in the playroom, teen lounge and
bedside
- Preparation for medical tests, procedures, and surgeries
- Educational services, including coordination of
homebound/hospital teaching and a school re-entry program
- Special events for fun and learning such as pet therapy,
clowns, and other fun activities, as well as planning birthday
and holiday celebrations
Providing a sense of normalcy for children who are coping with
serious health issues is important to their treatment and recovery.
A large part of that normalcy is playing. Playing is a very
necessary part of every child’s emotional well being, especially
during times of stress. It allows children to learn and it is a
great stress reliever.
Reducing stress helps the recovery process and allows children to
deal more effectively with their medical situation.
The Whole Child Approach
Beyond the obvious physical aspects of treating childrens’ serious
health issues, we are sensitive to their unique emotional and
developmental needs as well. Our Child Life specialists are
specially trained to foster a child’s physical and emotional health.
This is accomplished by promoting interaction with others,
age-appropriate socialization activities, and a healthy dose of
simply “letting kids be kids” in a caring and supportive
environment.
|
