Children and parents should be prepared for hospital!

On Saturday 6th June, Children in Hospital Ireland (CHI) is launching a National Awareness Campaign to promote the benefits of preparing children for a hospital visit or stay.

Mary O’Connor, CEO of CHI explains: ‘From our hospital volunteers around the country we repeatedly hear stories of children who are very worried because they don’t know what will happen to them in hospital. It is a serious issue and we decided to do something about it!‘

During the week long campaign entitled ‘Know Before You Go’ CHI will distribute essential information and advice to help parents prepare themselves and their child to hospital.

Ebhlin Byrne, Lord Mayor of Dublin, who supports the CHI campaign, says: ‘As a mum of three girls I know how, when your child is ill and facing a stay in hospital, it can be distressing. Worrying about how you, your sick child and other family members are going to cope can have a devastating effect on your ability to function. I’m delighted to support this valuable campaign which will help parents and children cope better.’

Every year in Ireland, over 100,000 children stay an average of 3 nights in hospital. These children are particularly vulnerable and the stress of a hospital stay can have long-term consequences on their development. Research has shown that children who have received careful explanation before they go are less anxious and have less chance of developing adverse effects.

Mary O’Connor adds: ’when children have information about what they can expect to encounter in hospital they are better able to cope with the experience. Not knowing what is going to happen allows fantasies and fears to make distress greater.’

Parents should also get organised as their child’s experience will depend on their ability to cope with the situation. It is a challenging time for families. In addition to rearranging regular activities, such as work and school, parents may experience emotions such as worry, guilt, sadness and relief. As they prepare their child for his or her hospital experience, it is just as important that they prepare themselves.

CHI has some simple advice, suggesting that parents can read hospital stories to their child, play doctors and nurses, are as truthful as possible and explain what will happen in simple words. Parents should also organise to stay with their child as much as possible, especially before and after an operation, and make sure that their child knows and understand that they will be coming home as soon as they are better.

Parents can contact CHI directly about any difficulties they have before, during and after their child’s stay in hospital.

The CHI campaign will reach even more parents thanks to support from some of Ireland’s leading companies including Bank of Scotland (Ireland), KSi Faulkner Orr, and Rennicks, who will spread the message among their staff.

Also, as part of the campaign, CHI is organising a festive collection in Grafton Street on Saturday 13th June, with the welcome help of the Dublin Fire Brigade. The Fire Brigade Pipe Band will be playing and a fire truck will be on display for the children!

CHI is appealing for the public’s support! To contribute to the campaign people can either contact the organisation for informative flyers to distribute to colleagues, family and friends, or make a donation directly to the charity via CHI’s page on mycharity.ie

For more information, please contact CHI: 1890 25 26 82, info@childreninhospital.ie

Did you know?

• Each year in Ireland there are on average over 270,000 hospital visits by children
• 75,000 child inpatients are under 4 years old and almost all go through  child emergency departments in Ireland
• CHI’s trained and vetted PlayWell volunteers organise games and fun activities in 17 hospitals around the country and provide more than 40,000 hours of play in hospital each year
• All CHI volunteers are Garda vetted before being placed in the hospital.  To become a volunteer please contact www.childreninhospital.ie.  

Children in Hospital Ireland is a national voluntary organisation, one of Ireland’s leading children’s charities, promoting the welfare of all children in hospital regardless of illness or condition. CHI has worked for nearly 40 years promoting the emotional and developmental needs of sick children and providing play in hospital. Play is an important part of childhood but in hospital it has added value. Play and fun activities reassure children and help them cope with illness and hospital. It also provides them with a sense of normality and offers great opportunities to socialise with other children. Children in Hospital Ireland also offers extensive services for parents and carers of sick children and provides an advocacy and advisory resource for planners, policymakers, the HSE and the Department of Health and Children. 

The Aims of CHI:

• To promote the welfare of sick children by drawing attention to their special needs for emotional security
• To support and help parents before, during and after their child’s stay in hospital
• To increase the awareness of policy makers and others to the special needs of sick children
• To promote the benefits of play in hospital