Preparing parents for going home

The experience of families with the home care of children after spinal fusion surgery

“…This discrepancy between what families needed in order to be successful care-givers at home and what they were given has been reported in the literature. In the paediatric orthopaedic population, families have generally reported dissatisfaction with the discharge information provided (Bailey and Caldwell, 1997;Cuddy, 1986;Newman and Fawcett, 1995;Smith and Daughtrey, 2000). The present study not only supports these results but also highlights the complexities of caring for a child at home, the gaps in current discharge preparation practices and how this may be improved.…”

“…A common need expressed by parents was for individualized, detailed information (Bailey and Caldwell, 1997;Bradford and Singer, 1991;Smith and Daughtrey, 2000;Snowdon and Kane, 1995). Families reported a general dissatisfaction with the discharge information provided (Bailey and Caldwell, 1997;Newman and Fawcett, 1995) and a need for written information to augment the verbal information given prior to discharge (Bailey and Caldwell, 1997;Cuddy, 1986;Smith and Daughtrey, 2000). Shesser and Kling (1986) suggest that one way to improve discharge teaching is to include parental input.…”

Readiness for Discharge in Parents of Hospitalized Children

“…In doing so, content may not be remembered or even recognized as given unless the delivery of the teaching is provided in a manner that connects with the individual parent as they deal with their immediate needs and concerns. Bailey and Caldwell (1997) have suggested that rather than attempting to provide more information to parents, the nurse should focus on analyzing the effectiveness of the communication of the information.…”

“…Gaps in discharge teaching are often not evident until after discharge when difficulties in managing care at home arise. Many parents report being unprepared for the realities of caring for their child at home (Baker, 1991) with continuing needs for information and professional support during the post-discharge period (Bailey & Caldwell, 1997;Kenner & Lott, 1990;Smith & Daughtrey, 2000;Snowdon & Kane, 1995).…”

Developing an information booklet for parents and caregivers of children recovering from spinal fusion surgery

“…There is consensus in the discharge preparation literature that the continuum of care from hospital to home is not always smooth and often presents a challenge to patients and their family members (Bailey and Caldwell, 1997;Newman and Fawcett, 1995;Swavely et al, 1999;Worth et al, 2000). In particular, preparing families to care for their child after hospitalization can be a complex process that is made more difficult by organizational issues and time constraints (Suderman et al, 2000).…”