TEAM CARE
Turning
frowns into smiles is the mission of the certified
child
life specialists who work closely with the Texas Children’s
Heart Center. Their mission is to minimize psychological
trauma experienced in the hospital and increase coping
abilities.
Child
life specialists see every child who comes through the
Heart Center to make sure they understand why they are
in the hospital and what the procedure involves.
Everyone on the medical, allied-health and support staffs
is involved in some facet of strategically planned child-life
activities, which help distract patients and comfort them
and their parents.
The child life specialist enlists
teaching methods that use dolls and sample medical
equipment to
discuss what will happen during a procedure, what
it will feel like and how the staff and family will help
a patient come through it successfully. Each explanation
is prepared at a developmentally appropriate level and
tailored to the patient’s personality.
Child life specialists sometimes accompany youngsters
faced with an invasive or “scary” procedure
and use guided imagery, toys and relaxation techniques
to provide distractions.
Because
some children need normalization activities while in the
hospital, child life assistants operate playrooms and
offer fun activities at the bedside. Texas Children’s
is one of only two hospitals nationwide and the only hospital
in Texas to feature
Radio
Lollipop, an in-house radio
station for patients.
Child life specialists also encourage students to stay
on track with their education. Children hospitalized more
than five days can receive schooling here with accredited
Houston Independent School District teachers who confer
with the children’s regular teachers.
Social workers assist Texas Children’s
Heart Center patients and their families with nonmedical
and emotional needs.
Questions
can range from financial help and work or school issues,
to help with adapting to a chronic illness or extended
hospitalization. Social workers are sensitive
to social issues, such as safety concerns or the need
to assess the ability to care for the patient away from
the hospital.
The lighter side of a child life
specialist's job includes coordinating events and
programs, such as camps, to lift the spirits of patients
and their loved ones. Two of these events include:
- Camp Pump It Up --
Each spring, 8-to-12-year-old heart patients and their
siblings spend a weekend fishing, canoeing, dancing,
horseback riding and having fun at Camp Pump It Up.
Because of the camp's unique design, children with
physical or mental limitations, including those who have
recently had surgery, can participate in activities.
Texas Children's medical staff attend camp and are on
duty 24 hours a day.
For more information about Camp
Pump It Up, contact Amanda Goerig by phone at
832-826-5670 or e-mail at
akgoerig@texaschildrenshospital.org.
-
Camp YOLO -- Twice a
year, teen-age patients participate in a special weekend
camp,
Camp YOLO (You Only Live Once), which also is attended
by doctors, nurses and members of the support team.
Dieticians
As a registered and licensed dietitian,
Michelle Cangas confers with cardiologists, visits with
youngsters in the clinic and monitors the progress of
patients before and after surgery. “I see all ages
of children who need nutritional intervention,” she
said. “The proper weight makes for an easier surgery
as well as an easier recovery.”
Heart
Center dietitians are experienced in caring for children
with a wide range of cardiac disorders. Nutritional management
can be a crucial factor in a child’s survival after
surgery.
“If
the patient requires multiple surgeries, it’s crucial
that I keep track of progress to make sure he or she is
growing well between surgeries,” Cangas said. “It’s
important for the patient’s growth curve to be maintained.”
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