Balancing the needs of the family during hospitalization

Kathryn Elison, MSW Clinical Social WOrker, shares advice for parents with a hospitalized child on the best way to balance your family's life during the difficult period
Family Crisis Tips | Balancing Family Life During A Child's Hospitalization
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Balancing the needs of the family during hospitalization

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One of the largest stressors while having a child hospitalized is balancing your life that does not stop outside the hospital. What you want to do is try to keep life as normal as possible. That plan and those rules and your schedule that you have tried so hard to implement before the hospital should be maintained during your child's hospital stay to the best of your ability. If you don't do so already, try to pick a special time with each of your other children to spend with them, go to a movie, go to dinner, or get your nails done. Do something to make them feel special. The children that are not in the hospital are nervous and stressed as well. So by having that special time with you, their parent, it helps reassure them. Also you should check with your hospital and see what additional supportive services are available for your other children. For example, there might be a sibling support group or other professionals that can work with the siblings of your hospitalized child to help them cope and deal and process what's going on with their brother or sister.

Kathryn Elison, MSW Clinical Social WOrker, shares advice for parents with a hospitalized child on the best way to balance your family's life during the difficult period

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Kathryn Elison, MSW

Clinical Social Worker, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Kathryn Elison is a Clinical Social Worker at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She was drawn to her profession because of her passion to provide support to families experiencing a medical crisis. Kathryn accompanies her patients and their families during one of the most stressful journeys of their lives, helping them navigate through this challenge and supporting them each step of the way. A native of North Carolina, Kathryn moved to Los Angeles, CA after receiving a Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her free time, Kathryn enjoys exploring her new home state of California with her husband Jed and her dog Sallie.

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Transcription: 
One of the largest stressors while having a child hospitalized is balancing your life that does not stop outside the hospital. What you want to do is try to keep life as normal as possible. That plan and those rules and your schedule that you have tried so hard to implement before the hospital should be maintained during your child's hospital stay to the best of your ability. If you don't do so already, try to pick a special time with each of your other children to spend with them, go to a movie, go to dinner, or get your nails done. Do something to make them feel special. The children that are not in the hospital are nervous and stressed as well. So by having that special time with you, their parent, it helps reassure them. Also you should check with your hospital and see what additional supportive services are available for your other children. For example, there might be a sibling support group or other professionals that can work with the siblings of your hospitalized child to help them cope and deal and process what's going on with their brother or sister.